


U.- 



*^^###^=i^^^^-^^^=i^=!^^^-^^^^=««$!-^sfe***' 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 



OP 



BROOKLYN, ETC. 



AN 

HISTORICAL SKETCH 



OP 



THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, 

AND THE 

SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD, 

INCLUDING THE 

VILLAGE OF WILLIAMSBURGH, 

AND THE TOWNS OF 

BUSHWICK, FLATBUSH, FLATLANDS, NEW 
UTRECHT, AND GRAVESEND. 

TO WHICH IS ADDED, AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF THE 

BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

COMPILED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES. 

BY 

J. T. BAILEY. X#^^ -< .^\ 

tc<i'lB68 ;>g) 



^ BROOKLYN: 



/ 

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, 
39 Fulton Street. 

AND TO BE HAD OF THE PRINCIPAL BOOKSELLERS IN NEW YORK AND 

BROOKLYN. 



1840. 



Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1840, by 
J. T. BAILEY, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for 
the Southern District of New York. 



NEW YORK: 

ROBERT CRAIGHEAD, PRINTER 

112 FULTON STREET. 






TO THE PUBLIC. 



The rapid progress of improvement which has taken 
place in Brooklyn, from the time of its incorporation as 
a city in 1834 up to the present period, the number of 
new buildings that have been erected, and the great 
increase in its population, is a matter of surprise and 
astonishment; but what renders it most worthy of the 
pen of the historian, is the fact that it was the spot 
where the memorable though unfortunate battle of Long 
Island was fought, during the revolutionary contest in 
1776, when so many noble hearted American patriots 
fell in defence of the liberty and independence of their 
country. 

The history of such a place cannot fail to be inter- 
esting to every one who values those sacred rights and 
privileges, but particularly to those who were born and 
reside on the spot, or in the immediate neighborhood ; 
indeed every schoolboy should be familiarly acquaint- 
ed with it. 

The compiler has endeavored to embody in this his- 
torical sketch as much general information respecting 



IV 



the places named in the title, as possible ; also the prin- 
cipal occurrences and interesting incidents that took 
place at the battle of the 27th August, 1776. 

He is aware that several eminent and talented authors 
have preceded him on this subject, to whom he ac- 
knowledges himself greatly indebted for much valuable 
information ; their publications contain more particulars, 
and possess much greater merit than his own ; but they 
are also more expensive, and consequently beyond the 
reach of many citizens, who wish for information on this 
interesting subject of history. 

His object has been to publish a cheap work, and he 
confidently hopes to reap his reward from a liberal and 
enlightened public, by a general sale of it, 
BrooMyn, August Ist, 1840. 



AN 

HISTORICAL SKETCH 

OF THE 

CITY OF BROOKLYN, 

AND THE S UHK-O UNDING NEIGHBORHOOD 



The City of Brooklyn is situated at the south-western 
extremity of Long Island, in Kings county, on the East 
River, nearly opposite the lower part of the city of New 
York, with which place it has a constant and regular 
communication by four ferries, which have steamboats 
plying at all hours during the day, and some of them du- 
ring the night; these boats are kept in good order, are 
very commodious, and well adapted for the conveyance, 
not only of foot passengers, but horses and carriages of 
all descriptions. The facility of communication between 
the two cities, has tended no doubt to the increase and 
prosperity of Brooklyn, for many merchants, and other 
citizens, who carry on business in New York, have their 
private residences in Brooklyn, preferring it, not only on 
account of the beauty and salubrity of the situation, but 
also for the excellence of the water, in which respect it 
greatly surpasses New York. 

The four ferries are the Fulton, the Main-street, the 
Jackson or Navy Yard ferry, as it is called, and the South 



6 BROOKLYN. 

ferry. The first of them, the Fulton^ is situated at the 
foot of Fulton-street, and is about 730 yards across the 
river to the foot of Fulton-street, New York. The Main- 
street ferry is at the foot of Main-street, it is east of the 
Fulton ferry, and is about 740 yards across to the foot of 
Catharine-street, New York. The Jackson ferry is at the 
foot of Jackson-street, it is about 700 yards across to the 
foot of Walnut-street, New York. And the South ferry 
is at the foot of Atlantic-street, Brooklyn, where the Long 
Island Rail-road commences ; it is about 1300 yards across 
the river to the foot of Whitehall-street, New York. 

The first European settler in New Netherlands was a 
man named G-eorge Janse de Rapelje, at the Waalboght, 
or Waaloons Bay, (as it was then called,) during the di- 
rectorship of Peter Minuit, under the charter of the Dutch 
West India Company. The first child of this Rapelje 
was unquestionably the first white child born upon Long 
Island ;'her christian name was Sarah ; she was born on the 
9th of June, 1625, and was honored as the first born child 
of the Dutch settlers ; in consideration of which, during 
her widowhood (for she was twice married) she was pre- 
sented with a tract of land at the Wallabout. Her first hus- 
band was Hans Hanse-Bergen, by whom she had six 
children; and her second husband was Tunis Guisbertse 
Bogart, by whom she had also six children. In the 
journal of the Dutch Council in 1656, it is stated that 
" the widow Hans Hansen, the first-born christian daugh- 
ter in New Netherlands, (as the Dutch settlements were 
then called,) being burdened with seven children, peti- 
tioned for a grant of a piece of meadow-land, in addition 
to the twenty morgen granted to her at the Waalboght." 

There is also a tradition, that the Indians, induced by 



BROOKLYN. / 

the circumstance of her being the first white child born 
on the island, gave the lands adjacent or near to the bay, 
to her father and his brethren, hence it was called Hel- 
Waalboght, now corrupted to Wallabout bay. 

There is an elderly lady, about 75 years of age, the last 
remaining branch of this family, now residing at No. 13 
Front-street ; she is the great grand-daughter of George 
Janse de Rapelje, in a direct line; she has been twice 
married; her present name is Sawyer, but her maiden 
name was Rapelje ; her father's name was G-arrett Rapel- 
je, he was a younger brother of John Rapelje, and he as 
well as his brother was obliged to take refuge in New 
Jersey during the revolutionary war, to avoid the perse- 
cution of the whigs, who suspected them of disaffection 
to the American cause. Mrs. Sawyer has many ancient 
documents and curious relics belonging to the family in 
her possession, and has a perfect recollection of many of 
the principal incidents that occurred during those trouble- 
some times. 

It appears by the Dutch records, that in 1634 a part of 
the land at Red Hook was the property of Wouter Van 
Twiller, being one of the oldest titles now existing. 
The earliest deed for land was from Governor Kieft to 
Abraham Rycken, in 163S, and the oldest grant recorded 
is to Thomas Besker in 1639. This may be considered as 
the commencent of permanent Dutch settlements on Long 
Island, as there is no evidence of any direct and. systema- 
tic efforts heing made for that purpose before this period. 

The town of Brooklyn, was first settled about the year 
1636, and the name conferred upon the place by the 
Dutch was Breucklyn, (signifying broken land,) nor does 
the present appellation appear to have been generally 



8 BROOKLYN. 

adopted until after the Revolution. Many changes have 
doubtless taken place on the shore, and it is believed that 
Governor's Island was formerly connected with Red Hook 
point. It is well known, that a short period before the 
war of independence, cattle were driven across what is 
called the Buttermilk channel, which is now sufficiently 
deep to afford a passage for vessels of a large class ; this 
may be accounted for in some measure by the construction 
of the wharves at New York, which by reason of their 
encroachment upon that side of the east river, have forced 
the current more over to the Brooklyn side, and conse- 
quently have been the cause of the Buttermilk channel 
becoming deeper. 

Between the years 1642 and 1647, grants were made by 
his excellency Governor Kieft,'to different individuals, 
for all the lands on the Brooklyn shore, from Red Hook 
point to the Wallabout bay; it is believed that a general 
patent of the town of Brooklyn was granted by Governor 
Stuyvesant in 1657, the same being frequently referred 
to in conveyances between individuals at an after period, 
which is evident by the following extract from the records. 
" August 10th, 1695. The patentees and freeholders of 
the town sold unto Stephen Van Coitlandt, the neck of 
land called Red Hook, containing by estimation fifty 
acres, which they state in their deed was formerly given 
and granted to the town of Breucklyn in the year 1557, 
by Governor Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor at that time, 
and since confirmed by the English governors Nicolls and 
Dongan." On the 18th of October, 1667, a full and am- 
ple patent was granted by Governor Richard Nicolls to 
Jan Everts, Jan Damen, Albert Cornelisson, Paulus Ver- 
beeck, Michael Eneyl, Thomas Lamberts, Teunis Guis- 



BROOKLYN. ^^-^ 9 

belt Bogart, and Joris Jacobson, as patentees, for and on 
behalf of themselves and their associates, the freeholders 
and inhabitants of the town of Breucklyn, their heirs, 
successors, and assigns, for " all that tract, together with 
the several parcels of land which already have been or 
hereafter shall be purchased or procured for and on be- 
half of the said town, whether from the native Indian pro- 
prietors, or others." 

In 1670, the inhabitants being desirous of enlarging 
the bounds of their common lands, by extinguishing the 
Indian claim, obtained a license from Governor Love- 
lace for that purpose, and a purchase of the land requi- 
red was agreed upon, the 14th of May, 1670, between 
them and the Indians, which is thus described in the deed 
of conveyance, as " all that parcell of land in and about 
Bedford, within the jurisdiction of Breucklyn ; beginning 
from Hendrick Van Aarnhem's land by a swampe of 
water, and stretching to the hills ; then going along the 
hills to the port, or entrance thereof, and so on to Rock- 
away foot-path." The port, or entrance, mentioned in 
this instrument, is the valley upon the Flatbush Turn- 
pike Road, a short distance beyond the three-mile-post 
from Brooklyn ferry, where a freestone monument has 
been placed to designate the line between Brooklyn and 
Flatbush. 

The price paid for all the land in and about Bedford, 
was one hundred guilders in Seawant, (the name of In- 
dian money,) half a ton oi strong beer, two tons oi good 
beer, three guns having long barrels, with each a pound 
of powder, and lead for bullets in proportion, that is, two 
bars to a gun, and four match-coats. 

On the 13th May, 1686, a new patent was granted to 



10 BROOKLYI^. 

the town of Breucklyn, by Governor Dongan, confirming 
all the powers and privileges of the charter granted by 
Grovernor Nicolls in 1667, upon the payment of twenty 
bushels of good merchantable wheat, as a quit rent to the 
English government. Under this, and other patents, 
considerable sums of money have been paid at different 
times as quit rents, for which receipts have been preser- 
ved. During the early settlement of the colony, the old 
ferry was from near the foot of Jerolemon-street, to the 
Breede-Graft, (now Broad-street,) in the city of New 
York, and it appears that in 1693, John Areson, the les- 
see of the ferry, complained of his inability to pay the rent* 
.£147 British sterling per annum, and it was reduced to 
=£140. At this time, the ferriage for every single person 
was eight stivers in wampum, or a silver two pence ; 
each person in company half the above amount, and after 
sunset, double price ; each horse, or beast, one shilling if 
single, or nine pence if there was more than one. In 
1698, Bip Van Dam was lessee of the ferry for seven 
years, at £165 per annum. During the Revolution, the 
old ferry was kept by Van Winkle and Bukett, at which 
time, the usual charge for crossing the river was sixpence. 
The corporation of the city of New York has long claim- 
ed and exercised the control of the ferry, which now pro- 
duces a considerable revenue. On the 1st of August, 
1795, the ferry from the foot of Main-street was estab- 
lished by William Furman and Theodosius Hunt, on a 
lease from the corporation of New York. In May, 1814^ 
the first steam-boat commenced running upon the Fulton 
Ferry, since which time, all the other ferries have steam- 
boats also. 

The town having acquired so great an extent of com 



* BROOKLYJf. 11 

mon land by the purchase made in 1670, from the Ca- 
narsee Indians, (a numerous tribe, then occupying the 
whole of Kings County, and the south end of Long Is- 
land,) the inhabitants thought proper to take some steps 
for dividing it, and defending it ; accordingly, on the 25th 
day of February, 1690, at a town meeting, they agreed 
to divide their common lands and woods into three parts, 
namely, Gowanis, or Gowanus, (as it is now called,) 
Bedford and Cripplebush, and Brooklyn proper, inclu- 
dinor the Wallabout. 

The following will serve to show the manner in which 
the inhabitants elected the trustees of their common 
lands, and the duties of the trustees so elected. " At a 
town meeting, held this 29th day of Aprill, 1699, at 
Breucklyn, by order of Justice Machiel Haussen, ffor to 
chose townesmen ffor to order all townes business, and to 
defend theire limitts and bounds, and to dispose and lay 
out sum part thereoff in lotts, to make lawes and orders 
ffor the best off the inhabitants, and to raise a small tax ffor 
to defray the towne charges, now being, or hereaffter to 
come, to receive townes revenues, and to pay townes 
debts ; and that with the advice off two justices off 
this said towne, standing the space and time off two years. 
Chosen ffor that purpose by pluralitie off votes, Benja- 
min Van de Water, Joores Haussen, Jan Garretse Dor- 
lant. By order off the inhabitants afforesaid. 

J. Van de Water^ Clarke." 
Although it may not be generally known, yet it is ne- 
vertheless true, that the records of the town of Breucklyn, 
from the time of its first settlement, to the end of the 
Revolutionary war, were either destroyed during the 
contest between Britain and her colonies, or carried off 



12 BROOKLYN. 

at the close of it by some evil-disposed person. The 
consequence is, that many valuable materials for compi- 
ling a history of the place are wanting to complete it. 
A hope is entertained that these important documents are 
still in existence, and any one who could give a clue to 
the city authorities, where they may be found, would 
not only be rendering a great public benefit to the city, 
but no doubt would be well rewarded for so doing. 

Judge Furman, in his notes, speaking of the history of 
Brooklyn, observes, " that its great antiquity is apparent 
from the fact, that the English colonists, who came out 
from Holland for the professed purpose of settlement, 
u//^ ■'• whyere those brought out in 1623 (only two years before 
the settlement of Brooklyn) in the ship of Captain Kor- 
nelis Jacobse Mey ; and that soon after two shijDS of the 
West India Company brought, as agriculturalists, the "Wal- 
loons, who settled in Brooklyn." In 1646 the town was 
permitted to choose two magistrates, who were authorized 
" to give good judgment in all events as they should deem 
proper, not contrary to the charter of New Netherlands ;" 
and to give complete effect to their authority, the go- 
vernor ordered, that if any one disobeyed the decision of 
the magistrates, he should forfeit his right to the lands 
within the village. 

The first public officer appointed by the Dutch go- 
vernment for the town after its settlement in 1625, was 
a *' Superintendant,^^ whose duties were to preserve the 
peace and regulate the police of the town. But, ia a few 
years after, the office of superintendant was abolished, 
and the offices of schout, secretary, and assessor, were 
created by the governor in its stead. In order to secure 
the settlement against the depredations of the Indians, 



BROOKLYN. 13 

the governor in 1660 required the inhabitants to fortify 
the town, and remove with their families within the en- 
closure, which was constructed of palisadoes, set close 
together, and made sharp pointed at the top. 

In October, 1675, an order was passed by the court of 
assize, that a fair or market should be yearly kept near 
the ferry, for the sale of grain, cattle, or other produce 
of the country, to be held the first Monday, Tuesday, 
and Wednesday, in November. 

Although the population of Brooklyn has augmented 
every year since its settlement, yet, previous to the in- 
corporation of it as a village in 1816, the increase was 
far less than it has been since that time; within the last 
15 years, the increase in the number and wealth of the 
population has been greater than it was for one hundred 
years preceding. In 1706, the real and personal estate 
in the town was valued at c£3,112, and the tax thereon 
was <€41. In 1824, the valuation was over $2,600,000, 
and the taxes nearly $7,000. In 1834, the valuation was 
$7,257,473, being an increase of nearly $5,000,000 in lea 
years ; and it may be fairly concluded that there has been 
a corresponding increase in the valuation from 1834 to 
the present period. 

The controversies which have existed between the au- 
thorities of Brooklyn and the corporation of the city of 
New- York, in relation to the right of the ferries across the 
East river, and the claim of the latter to the soil below 
high water-mark along the Brooklyn shore, and also con- 
cerning the title of the government of the United States 
to a valuable tract of land at the Wallabout, are subjects 
of the highest importance to the inhabitants ; but their 
merits would require more space for examination and 

2 



14 



BROOKLYN. 



inquiry into, than can be given to .them in this brief 
sketch. 

The first place for public worship erected in Brooklyn 
was a Dutch Church, which was built in 1666, and stood 
about forty years ; when another was erected on the 
same spot, which was taken down in 1810, and a new and 
substantial one built in Jerolemon-street. This last not 
being sufficiently large, has lately given place to a more 
splendid edifice, nearly on the same site as the old one. 
The Rev. Henricus Selwyn was appointed as the resi- 
dent minister on the third of September, 1660, (six years 
before the church was built,) with a salary of 600 guild- 
ers, or #240, a year. 

An episcopal society existed in Brooklyn as early as 
1766j which was incorporated in 1787, and in 1795 St. 
Ann's Episcopal Church was opened for public worship. 
The building was of stone^ and was superseded by the 
present edifice in 1824. The first Methodist Church was 
incorporated and dedicated to public worship in 1794. 
The first Presbyterian Church in 1822. The first Baptist 
Church in 1823. The first Roman Catholic Church in 
1822 ; and the first Congregational Church in 1839. 

The following is the number of churches in Brooklyn 
9t the present time; namely, six Episcopalian, two Dutch 
Reformed, seven Presbyterian, two Baptist, four Episco- 
pal Methodist, one Centenary Episcopal Methodist, one 
Primitive Methodist, one Wesleyan Methodist, two Ro- 
man Catholic, one Unitarian Congregational Church, and 
one Friends [or Quakers] Meeting House. 

There are about two hundred dwelling houses, and 
other buildings, in course of erection, or have been erected, 
in Brooklyn, within the last twelve months. 



BROOKLYN. 15 

The first printing press established in Brooklyn was 
by one Thomas Kirk in 1799, who issued a weekly news- 
paper, called " The Courier, and New-York and Long 
Island Advertiser," which was continued about four 
years. The first number of the "Long Island Star" 
was also published by Kirk on the 1st of June, ISO 9, 
rind was transferred by him to Aldeii Spooner in 1811. 
The " Brooklyn Advocate " has also been published for 
some years; it was conducted by John Douglas until No- 
vember, 1837, by whom it was then transferred to S. G. 
Arnold, and it is now published by Arnold and Van Ar- 
den, also the "Brooklyn Daily News,"' at No. 39 Fulton- 
street. 

The most compact part of Brooklyn was incorporated 
into a village on the 12th day of April, 1816, which, al- 
though greatly opposed by a portion of the inhabitants at 
the time, gave an impulse to the spirit of improvement, 
and has caused it to be ranked as the third city in the 
state of New- York. The village charter authorized the 
election of five trustees, and those named in the act were 
Andrew Mercein, John Garrison, John Doughty, John 
Seaman, and John Dean. This charter was several times 
amended and enlarged, as the increase of the population 
required, until it became necessary to endow the place 
with the name and privileges of a city. Accordingly, on 
the 8th of April, 1834, the whole territory of the tovm 
was incorporated under the name of the " CitTj of BrooJc- 
hjn^^' and its inhabitants as a body corporate and politic, 
by the style and title of " The Mayor and Common Coun- 
cil of the City of Brooklyn'' The powers of the corpo- 
ration are vested in the mayor and a board of aldermen, 
composed of two elected annually from each ward ; who 



16 BROOKLYN. 

have the appointment of most of the subordinate officers 
of the city. The election for charter officers is on the 
second Tuesday of April every year. The mayor is 
chosen by the people for the term of one year. 

The city is divided into nine v^^ards ; there is one con- 
stable, tvt^o assessors, and one collector, elected in each 
vv^ard, and a general ticket for the first seven M^^ards, of 
five supervisors. One of the candidates for the last men- 
tioned office, must be taken from the eigth or ninth wards. 

These officers enter upon their duties the first Monday 
in May, and hold their offices for one year; but the as- 
sessors are required to organize as a board of assessors 
on the Tuesday after they have taken the constitutional 
oath. 

The common council may appoint a clerk, treasurer, 
attorney, and counsellor, a street commissioner, a comp- 
troller, a clerk of the markets, two city collectors, and 
marshalls not exceeding seven. 

The common council are required to publish, every 
yfear, a statement of the financial concerns of the city, 
ten days at least before the annual election. 

The mayor possesses and may exercise, in the courts 
of oyer and terminer, and the general sessions of the 
peace for Kings county, the same powers as are by law 
exercised by the judges of the county courts. 

The first seven wards of the city constitute a fire and 
watch district, the expenses of which are to be borne by 
the said wards. 

The members of the common council are fire wardens, 
and may appoint other fire wardens, If necessary. 

There are twelve fire engine companies, two hook and 
ladder companies, and one hose company, a chief en- 



"* BROOKLYN. 17 

gineer, five assistants, and a foreman to each company, 
attached to the fire department. 

The common councillor such number of them as tliey 
may designate for the purpose, in conjunction with the 
mayor, are commissioners of excise for granting licenses 
to sell wines and spirits, and the common council may 
pass ordinances for regulating all ordinaries, victualing, 
and oyster houses or cellars, where porter, ale, beer, &c. 
may be drank. 

The common council are constituted aboard of health, 
of which the mayor is president; they have the power to 
appoint a health physician. 

The aldermen of each ward are fence viewers for their 
respective wards. The supervisors of the city, and the 
common council, meet together on the third Monday of 
May as a joint board, to determine what sum is required 
to be raised by tax for the public purposes of the city, not 
exceeding fifty thousand dollars, except it may be neces- 
sary for the fire department. The mayor and common 
council are empowered to raise, by way of loan, any sum 
for erecting public buildings, &c. not exceeding five hun- 
dred thousand dollars. 

Bedford, now the eastern part of Brooklyn, was for- 
merly a separate hamlet ; but it is so far swallowed up by 
the progress of improvement, as nearly to have lost its 
identity. G-owanus is that part of Brooklyn which joins 
Flatbush and the waters of the bay, consisting principally 
of a low tract of salt marsh, ponds, and creeks, over which 
a highway and bridge have been constructed ; as the city 
advances in that direction, it will become more valuable 
every day. The Wallabout is that part of Brooklyn 
which lies north-east from the ferry ; it was the scene of 

2* 



18 BROOKLYN. 

the most heart-rending sufferings during the revolution, 
many thousands of American citizens being confined on 
board the prison-ships stationed in the bay. 11,500 are 
said to have died from starvation, or disease produced by 
close confinement, bad provisions, bad water, and the 
want of proper medical attendance. A tomb has been 
erected to the memory of these patriotic martyrs to the 
cause of liberty and independence; it is situated in Jack- 
son-street, nearly opposite the end of Front-street; 13 
cofl&ns filled with the bleached bones of the deceased 
patriots were interred in it in the year 1808 with great 
veneration and respect; there was a grand military and ci- 
vic procession, and 15,000 citizens without any distinc- 
tion of party are said to have attended on the occasion, 
to atone as it were for public neglect, in not paying an 
earlier tribute of respect to the memory of the departed 
heroes ; upwards of thirty years having elapsed at the 
time of the erection of the tomb, since they died in the 
glorious struggle to obtain and secure the liberty and in- 
dependence of their country. The tomb is a small square 
frame building, surmounted by an eagle on the point of 
the roof;' the interior is an ante-chamber to the vault be- 
neath, in which the coffins are deposited ; there is a row 
of posts and rails in front of the tomb, on which the names 
of the thirteen original states of the union are inscribed ; 
the area around the tomb is enclosed by a rail fence, over 
the entrance of which is the following inscription : " Por- 
tal to the Tomb of 11,500 Patriot Prisoners, who died in 
Dungeons and Prison-ships in and about the City of 
New- York during the Revolution." 

From the subjoined account of the battle of Long 
Island, it will be seen, that Brooklyn had a full share of 



*♦ BROOKLYN. 19 

military operations during the revolutionary war; and 
was for a long time in possession of the British army. 
There are several remains of fortifications, which were 
thrown up both by the Americans and the English for 
defence against each other; Fort Green is the most con- 
spicuous of any of them, and a very important station it was. 
It was in Brooklyn and the immediate neighborhood 
that the most sanguinary part of the battle of Long Island 
was fought, August 27, 1776, which took place on the re- 
treat of the American army within their lines ; a portion 
of them attempted to ford the mill-pond at Gowanus, in 
which attempt nearly a whole regiment of young men 
from Maryland was cut off. 

The " Long Island Railroad^'' commences at the foot 
of Atlantic-street, near the South ferry, where here 
are convenient places for the storage of produce and 
merchandise ; also accommodations for passengers go- 
ing, or coming by the cars : the route of the road is 
through Jamaica to Hicksville, and measures are now in 
progress for extending it nearly the whole length of the 
Island to Greenport. 

There are convenient warm and cold salt water Baths, 
in Furman-street, under the Brooklyn Heights, near the 
South ferry. 

The view from the top of Brooklyn Heights, is one of 
the most picturesque ever was presented to the eye, so 
harmoniously are the beauties of nature and art combi- 
ned. A spirited company have lately erected buildings, 
and made a garden here for public recreation and amuse- 
ment, called the Colonnade Garden, which by judicious ma- 
nagement, will become a favorite and fashionable resort. 

The United States " Navy Yard^'' at the Wallabout, is 



20 



BROOKLYN. 



well worthy the notice of strangers visiting Brooklyn ; the 
government possess about forty acres of land, including 
the site of the old mill-pond ; there is a spacious yard, 
public store houses, machine-shops, and two immense 
edifices built of wood, in which ships-of-war of the lar- 
gest class are protected from the weather while they are 
building.* On the opposite side of the bay, the *' Naval 
Hospital,'^ which is a splendid and magnificent building, 
has been lately erected, the site on which it is built, is 
very beautiful and picturesque. 

One of the principal public buildings in the city, is 
" the Lyceum,''^ which is a fine specimen of architecture, 
built of granite, and every way adapted to the purpose of 
its projection. It is situated in Washington-street, near 
Concord. The institution was organized in October, 
1833 ; the objects of it, are moral and intellectual im- 
provement, by means of certain specified committees, and 
by gratuitous and other public lectures. A course of 
lectures upon miscellaneous subjects, was commenced on 
the 7th of November, 1833, which has been varied occa- 
sionally by essays, chiefly from the pens of ladies. The 
" City Library^'' has been lately established here, which 
contains a great number of valuable literary works, and is 
highly deserving of the general patronage and support 
of the citizens. 

There is also an " Aj)prentices^ Lihi-ary," and the 
" Brooklyn Savings Bank," in this building ; both of which 

* The " United States Naval Lyceum,^'' is also in the Navy Yard ; 
this institution was organized by the Officers of the Navy and Marine 
Corps, in order to promote the diffusion of useful knowledge, and to 
foster a spirit of harmony, and a community of interest, in the service. 
There is also a " Naval School" for boys. . 



BROOKLYN. 21 

are excellent institutions, and cannot be too much encou- 
raged and supported by the public. 

There are nine " Public District Schools " in the city, 
one in each ward, for the education of boys and girls, 
who are under the care of proper and competent teach- 
ers, subject to the supervision of two trustees for each 

ward. 
A " City Hospital " has been recently established in 

Adams, near Johnson-street, under the fostering care 
and patronage of the corporation ; but to render it truly 
efficient for the purposes of its projection, an increase in 
the funds is desirable ; it is an institution well worthy 
the support of the humane, benevolent, and wealthy por- 
tion of the citizens, either by donations, or annual sub- 
scriptions ; the object of it, is a place of reception for 
poor persons, who have met with serious accidents with- 
in the precincts of the city, or those who may require 
medical advice, in order that they may receive such im- 
mediate relief and assistance as the nature of their case 
requires ; and surely no institution can be more deser- 
ving of the support of those who have it in their power 
to contribute to it, than this. Doctor King, to his honor 
be it spoken, has been the chief promoter of it. 

The " Brooklyn Collegiate Institute, for young Ladies,^"* 
was incorporated in 1829. The building is large and 
beautifully located near the East River. It flourished for 
a few years, and gave promise of permanent utility ; but 
from want of sufficient patronage, the school has been 
given up. 

The " City HaJl,^' which was commenced a few years 
since upon a magnificent scale, has been interrupted in 
its progress, and doubts are entertained of its completion, 
at least upon the plan, and to the extent originally con- 



22 SRooKLY^^ 

templated. It is situated in the triangle formed by Ful- 
ton, Jerolemon, and Court streets. 

Dufflon's '^Military Garden,^^ \s> situated near to the City 
Hall, at the junction of Jerolemon and Fulton streets; it 
is a pleasant place of resort at all times, but particularly 
on gala nights. 

The '' City Buildings,''^ are situated at the corner of 
Henry and Cranberry streets ; there is nothing in the 
architecture of the exterior of them worthy of notice ; 
they are used as courts, and offices of the corporation 
for the transaction of the public business of the city. 

The " Ki7igs County Courls,"" are held in the large 
building called '^ the Exchange,^^ situated at the corner of 
Cranberry and Fulton streets ; it is a plain brick build- 
ing, without any extraordinary architectural beauty. 

The ** Kings County Gaol, or Prison,''^ is situated in 
Raymond street, at the foot of Fort Green ; it is a dark 
heavy-looking, castellated gothic edifice, in front built of 
red sand-stone, with gothic windows at each side, and a 
large yard at the back ; the site where it is located, is 
not a very favorable one for the display of its architectu- 
ral front; had it been erected on the summit of Fort 
Green, it would have had a more commanding appear- 
ance, and have been a much more healthy location for the 
prisoners 

The Long Island Bank, in Fulton-street, is a fine 
specimen of modern architecture, but it would have had a 
much bolder appearance if the front of it had been widei'. 

It would occupy too much spqce to describe the archi- 
tecture of the different churches in the city ; it is suffi- 
cient to say, that most of them are neat, and some of them 
elegant structures ; the new Presbyterian Church, lately 



, BROOKLYN. 23 

erected in Fulton, corner of Pine-Apple-street, is a good 
specimen of architecture ; the building is of brick, with 
modern gothic windows, and the door-ways, and part of 
the steeple, are of red sand-stone ; the whole of the exte- 
rior has a pleasing appearance, and the interior is in per- 
fect keeping with it. 

The private residences in the upper part of the city, 
are many of them very elegant buildings, particularly the 
Colonnade Row on Brooklyn Heights, and the elegant 
mansion of S. A. Willoughby, Esq., in Fulton, corner 
of Jay-street. The streets in general are well laid out^ 
and those in which the trees have grown up and spread 
their leafy shade over the foot- walks, have a very pleas- 
ing and beautiful appearance. 

There are many large and commodious wharves on the 
East River, botn to the east and south of Fulton ferry, 
and the widening of Furman-street, has greatly contri- 
buted to improve the frontage to the river, on that side of 
the city. 

Several manufactories in different branches of business, 
have been established here, too numerous to particular- 
ize ; and there seems to be nothing that retards the pros- 
perity of the city, but the general depression which has 
fallen upon trade all throughout the Union. 

The '^Greenwood Cemetery^^ — this rural depository 
for the dead, is situated on the heights above Gowanus, 
at the termination of Hammond Avenue; it comprises an 
area of two hundred acres of land; is bounded on the north- 
east by Twenty-first-street, on the southwest by Thirty- 
fourth-street, on the northwest by the Fifth Avenue, and 
on the southeast by the extreme part of the city adjoining 
Flatbush. The location is one of great capability and 
extraordinary beauty; the avenues and walks are laid ou 



24 WILLIAMSBURGH. 

with good taste ; as yet, it is only in its infancy, but 
should it progress to maturity, it will greatly contribute 
to the picturesque beauty of that part of the city; the 
prospects of land and water scenery from it are varied and 
beautiful in the extreme, and it is in every respect well 
adapted for the purpose of its projection. Here, indeed, 
the ashes of the dead may rest in peace for ages yet to come. 

WILLIAMSBURGH. 

The village of Williamsburgh is situated opposite the 
very heart of the city of New York ; it has a bold water 
front upon tlia East river of a mile and a half in length, 
and sufficient depth of water for all commercial purposes; 
it possesses this advantage over Brooklyn, that its entire 
shore is under the control of its own local authorities. 
Several large and substantial wharves and docks have 
been constructed, affording safe and convenient mooring 
for vessels, even of the largest class. Its ferry is the 
nearest approximation to the upper parts of the city of 
New York from the eastern towns of Long Island, by 
two lines of steam ferry boats of the best kind, and re- 
markable for their accommodations and speed. The 
Peck-slip ferry may be said to unite Williamsburgh 
with the Fulton and Catharine markets; the Grand-street 
ferry with the centre of New York, and there is another 
ferry in contemplation to the foot of Houston-street, 
which will lead to the upper wards of New York and 
Harlsem. Williamsburgh has now upwards of seventy 
streets permanently laid out, about thirty of which have 
been graded and regulated, some paved, and one Mac- 
adamized. There are upwards of six hundred dwellings, 



WILLIAMSBtJRGH. 25 

and about four thousand inhabitants. There is one 
Dutch Reformed Church and two Methodist Churches; 
ten fire companies, one hook and ladder company, two 
distilleries, one steam spice mill, five rope walks, an ex- 
tensive glue factory, two hat manufactories, one iron 
foundry, two lumber yards, two lime and brick yards, 
one coal yard, six hotels, several grocery stores, one drug 
store, and a due proportion of tradesmen and mechanics 
of all descriptions ; a newspaper, called the " The Wil- 
liamshurgh Gazette and Democrat,''^ has also been estab- 
lished here. 

A considerable number of elegant dwelling houses have 
been erected lately in the southern part of the village, 
owned and occupied by persons doing business in New 
York. There are many other inducements, besides an 
easy and speedy communication with New York, which 
will ensure a rapid influx of inhabitants, and an expan- 
sion of business. The improvements in contemplation, 
and partially in progress, along the shore south of the pre- 
sent ferries, will, in time, unite with those in the vicinity of 
the navy yard at Brooklyn, and may become one continu- 
ous city, as it were, from the mouth of Newtown creek 
to Red Hook, a distance of four miles. Williamsburgh 
is not only the principal settlement in the town of Bush- 
wick, but contains within its corporate limits more than 
two thirds of the whole population. This flourishing vil- 
lage was, till within a few years, an inconsiderable place, 
although it was commenced, by a few spirited individuals, 
nearly thirty years ago, who erected a few dwelling 
houses, and established a ferry between it and the foot of 
Grand-street, New York, at which time the houses on 
the New York side, in the vicinity of the ferry, were 

3 



26 WILLIAMSBURGH. 

scattering; and where extensive blocks of buildings are 
now erected, was then, in a great measure, an open field 
of broken ground. In the year 1817, a ferry boat, pro- 
pelled by horse power, gave a new impulse to the pro- 
gress of improvement, and Williamsburgh began to as- 
sume an importance unknown before that time ; still the 
main current of travel was by the way of Brooklyn. At 
that time, the road leading to the ferry was the principal 
thoroughfare of the village ; and where there are now 
wide and handsome streets partially built upon, was then 
cultivated fields, orchards, etc. Such was the state of 
the village, in a great degree, when the first act of incor- 
poration was obtained, on the 14th of April, 1827, which 
proved a new and important era in the increase and pros- 
perity of Williamsburgh. The territory embraced in the 
act is as follows : ** Beginning at the Wallabout bay, oppo- 
site the navy yard, in the city of Brooklyn, and running 
thence in an easterly direction along the division line be- 
tween the towns of Bushwick and Brooklyn, to the land 
of Abraham A. Remsen; thence northerly by the same to 
a road or highway, at a place called Sweed's Fly; thence 
by the said road or highway, to the dwelling house of the 
late John Vandervoort, deceased ; thence in a straight 
line northerly, to a small ditch or creek, against the mea- 
dow of John Skillman ; thence by the said creek to Nor- 
man's kill; thence by the middle or centre of Norman's 
kill, to the East river ; and thence along the East river, 
at low water mark, to the place of beginning." The 
first trustees appointed under this act, v/ere Noah Water- 
bury, John Miller, xlbraham Meserole, Lewis Sandford, 
and Thomas T. Morrill ; of whom the first named well- 
known and spirited individual was chosen president. 
The board, under the extensive and liberal provisions of 



BUSHWICK. 



27 



this charter, applied themselves immediately and vigor- 
ously to the laying oat of the streets and building lots, 
as the basis for future improvement ; and every thing 
was done by them v^hich the state of things at that time 
seemed to authorize or require. Nevertheless, the in- 
crease of business and population v^as not equal to the 
public expectations, until another portion of territory was 
included in the incorporated part of the village, and ad- 
ditional powers conferred upon the trustees, by the act of 
the 18th of April, 1835. This additional legislative pro- 
vision vested the concerns of the village in the hands of 
nine trustees, of which new board Edmund Frost was 
chosen President, and by whose zeal, industry, and per- 
severance, much has been accomplished for the increase 
and prosperity of the place. So great has been the pro- 
gress of improvement, that the ancient village of Bush- 
wick can scarcely be identified, having been amalga- 
mated, as it were, with the village of Willi amsburgh. 
Indeed, it now seems both a matter of surprise and re- 
gret, that public attention should not have been sooner 
and more efficiently attracted to a place possessing so 
many and superior natural advantages for the successful 
prosecution of every species of manufacture and com- 
merce, and the erection of pleasant and comfortable pri- 
vate residences. 

BUSHWICK. 

This town is situated in the northeast extremity of 
Kings county ; it is bounded westerly by the East river, 
northerly by Maspeth or Newtown creek, easterly by 
Newtown, and southerly by Brooklyn, and that part of 



ZO BUSHWICK. 

Flatbush called New Lotts. Its area is three thousand 
eight Imndred and sixty acres, of which a great portion 
is under cultivation; its proximity to the cities of Brook- 
lyn and New York rendering it highly valuable. The 
precise period of its settlement cannot be satisfactorily 
ascertained, but it is believed to have been some years 
later than Brooklyn and the more southern towns of 
Kings county. It was commenced by the Dutch, who 
were joined, many years after, by a liumber of Huguenot 
families, whose descendants are numerous and respecta- 
ble in this and the neighboring towns at the present time. 
The name is of Dutch origin, indicating that the location 
was remarkable for the v/oods which covered its surface 
in early times. There are some families here who can 
trace their ancestry nearly two hundred years back, pos- 
sessing, at that period, the identical lands now in the oc- 
cupation of their descendants. The increase of popula- 
tion in this part of the country, was so small as not to 
acquire a municipal character before the year 1648, at 
which time application was made to the governor for a 
patent or ground-brief. One was accordingly issued, un- 
der which the inhabitants remained till the conquest of 
the New Netherlands, in 1664. The government having 
now fallen into other hands, and many considerable de- 
fects being discovered in the charter granted by Govern- 
or Stuyvesant, the people of Bushwick, at a town 
meeting assembled for the purpose in 1666, ap- 
pointed a committee to wait upon Governor Nicolls, 
'« to solicit him for a new patent, and to request that the 
boundaries of the town might be more expressly defined 
and set forth therein." 

This patent was obtained on the S5th of October, 1667, 



KUSHWICK. 29 

wherein the limits and bounds of the town are set forth 
in the following words : " Bounded by the mouth of a 
certain creeke or kill, called Maspeth-kill, right over 
against Dominie-Hook, so their bounds goe to David 
Jocham's Hook ; then stretching upon a south-east line 
along the said kill, they come to Smith's Island, inclu- 
ding the same, together with all the meadow ground or 
valley thereunto belonging ; and continuing the same 
course, they pass along by the ffence at the wood-side, 
soe to Thomas Vandall's meadow; from whence, stretch- 
ing upon a south-east by south line, along the wood land 
to the hills, taking in the meadow or valley there ; then 
pass along near upon a south-east by south line, six hun- 
dred rods into the woods ; then running behind the lots as 
the wood land lyes, south-east by south ; and out of the 
said woods they go again north-west to a certain small 
swamp ; from thence they run behind the New Letts, to 
John the Sweede's meadow ; then over the Norman's 
Kill, to the west end of his old house, from whence they 
goe alongst the river, till you come to the mouth of Mas- 
peth-kill, and David Jocham's Hook, whence they first 
began." From the time of the first organization of the 
town, till the year 1690, it was for certain civil purposes 
associated with the other towns in Kings county, except . 
Gravesend, constituting a separate district under the ap- 
pellation of the ^' Five Dutch Towns','^ and for which a 
secretary, or register, was specially commissioned by the 
governor, whose duty it was to take proof of wills and 
marriage settlements, also the acknowledgment of 
*' Transcri'£is^'' or conveyances, and many of the more 
important contracts and agreements, which were requi- 
red to be recorded. These five towps likewise formed 

3* 



30 



BUSHWICK. 



but one ecclesiastical congregation, and joined in support 
of their ministers in common. The inhabitants, with few 
exceptions^, professed the doctrines promulgated at the 
synod of Dortin 1618, most of whose resolutions are still 
adhered to in the Reformed Dutch churches. In the 
year 1662 according to one authority, the dwellings in 
this town, did not exceed twenty-five, and were located 
on the site of the village of Bushwick, which together 
with the Octagon Church, built in 1720, were enclosed 
by pallisades, as most of the other settlements were at 
that time. The following entry is in the minutes of the 
court of sessions : " At a Court of Sessions held at Flat- 
bush, for Kings county, on the 10th of May, 1699. Up- 
pon the desire of the inhabitants of Breucklyn, that accord- 
ing to use and order every three years the limmitts be- 
tween towne and towne must be runn ,• that a warrant, or 
order may be given, that upon the 17th day off May, the 
line and bounds, betwixt said townes of Breucklyn and 
Boswick, shall be runn according to their pattents or agree- 
ments. Ordered, that an order should be past according 
to theire request." 

The population of Bushwick was very inconsiderable 
at the time of the revolution, compared wath other parts 
of the country ; yet they suffered greatly from the depre- 
dations of the enemy. They were particularly exposed 
to ihe invaders, who made, of course, an indiscriminate 
destruction of whatever their caprice or revenge dicta- 
ted. The close approximation of its forests to the gar- 
risons of New York and Brooklyn, led to the entire 
waste of the valuable timber which abounded at the com- 
mencement of the contest for liberty. On the return of 
the owners of the lands at the close of the war, they 



FLATBUSH. 31 

found not only the woods and fences destroyed, but their 
dwellings in many instances greatly injured, and deteri- 
orated in value. 

FLATBUSH. 

This town, called by the Dutch Midwout, or Middle 
Woods, is bounded on the north by Brooklyn and Bush- 
wick, and a small part of dueens county, east by Jamai- 
ca, south by Jamaica bay, Flatlands, and Gravesend, and 
west by Gravesend ; it is of an irregular shape, and con- 
tains an area of about seven thousand acres, most of 
which is under cultivation. The settlement of this town 
was begun in 1651, and the next year a patent, or ground- 
brief, was obtained from Governor Stuyvesant, authorizing 
the inhabitants to establish and erect a town or planta- 
tion, with the usual privileges of other towns under the 
Dutch jurisdiction. In 1667, after the country fell into 
the hands of the English, application was made by the 
inhabitants to G overnor Nicolls for a patent of confirma- 
tion and assurance of fheir lands and boundaries ; and 
on the 11th day of October, in the same year, the patent 
was issued unto Johannes Megapolensis, one of the min- 
isters of the city of New York, Cornelius Van Ruyven, 
one of the justices of the peace, Adrian Hegeman, Jan 
Snedeger, Jan Stryker, Fraus Barents, (pastor,) Jacob 
Stryker, and Cornelius Janse Bougaert, as patentees, for 
and on behalf of themselves and associates, the freehold- 
ers and inhabitants of the said town, their heirs, succes- 
sors, and assigns, for the premises described therein. And 
on the 12th of November, 1685, a farther confirmatory 
patent was granted by Governor Dongan. On the 17th 
of December, 1654, Governor Stuyvesant, who seems to 



32 FLATBUSH. 

have exercised entire authority in ecclesiastical, as well 
as civil and military affairs, gave orders that a house 
of public worship should be erected in this town; and on 
the 9th of February, 1655, he issued his commands that 
the people of Brooklyn and Amersfort should assist the 
people of Midwout, or Flatbush, in getting timber for it; 
soon after the church was finished, the Rev. Johannis 
Polhemus was engaged to officiate as minister, with a 
salary of one thousand and forty guilders (about four 
hundred and sixteen dollars) a year. In March, 1656, 
he was required by the governor to preach every Sunday 
morning at Midwout, or Flatbush, and in the afternoon 
at Amersfort and Brooklyn alternately. The church 
built here in 1663, of wood, stood, with occasional re- 
pairs, till 1717, when it was succeeded by another, built 
of stone. This building fronted the east, had a double 
arched door-way in the centre, and a steep quadrangular 
roof, with a small steeple rising from the middle. It was 
sixty-five by fifty feet, the pulpit being on the west side. 
It was repaired and altered in-1775, at an expense of 
more than seven hundred dollars ; but in 1794, it was 
taken down, and the present large and commodious 
building erected in its stead, which cost about twelve 
thousand dollars. It was completed in December, 1796, 
with a fine bell, imported from Holland, and presented 
to the church by John Vanderbilt, Esq. In 1818, the 
churches of Flatbush and Flatlands united in settling the 
Rev. Walter Monteith, who removed in a short time 
after; and in 1822, the Rev. Thomas M. Strong succeeded 
him. In 1824, a new congregation was organized, and 
a church erected in the eastern part of the town, called 
New Letts, from the circumstance of the land having 



FLATBUSH. ' 33 

been divided or allotted among the inhabitants at a later 
period than some of the other sections of the town. The 
soil is generally of a good quality, and by careful cultiva- 
tion, it is made very productive. The village of Flat- 
bush is a delightful spot, hardly excelled by any other in 
this neighborhood as a country residence ; the spirit of 
improvement has reached it, and several splendid villas 
have been erected, all having the appearance of good 
taste, and conveying an impression of the wealth and 
opulence of the proprietors of these elegant mansions. A 
softer or more agreeable landscape than is here presented, 
is seldom met with, and can scarcely be wished for. Its 
surface is an inclined plane, elevated about fifty feet 
above the level of the ocean, towards which the descent 
is regular and gradual. The court-house of Kings county 
was erected, here in 1685, and the courts continued to be 
held there until it was destroyed by fire in 1832. St. 
Paul's Episcopal Church, in the village, was built in 1836, 
principally by the liberality and munificence of one of 
its citizens, Matthew Clarkson, Esq. ; it is a neat and 
handsome edifice. Erasmus IlaU, a noble academical 
institution here, was incorporated November 20th, 1787, 
being the second in point of time erected upon Long 
Island. It has always maintained a high reputation as a 
place of education, and its pupils are diffused over most 
parts of the United States. The building is not only 
spacious and airy, but replete with every convenience, 
and the grounds about it are ornamented with a planta- 
tion of shrubs and shady trees. A little to the north of 
the villago, there is an elevated situation, called Prospect 
Hill, which is estimated to be one hundred feet above the 
surrounding country, and the view from its summit is 
sublime and beautiful in the extreme, 



34 



FLATLANDS. 



The " Foor-House" of Kings county is located a short 
distance from the village. The farm contains about sixty- 
acres of very good land, which cost three thousand dol- 
lars. The principal building is forty-four feet square, 
w^ith two wings, each sixty by thirty- five feet. The whole 
is two stories in height. There is also a building detached 
from these, appropriated for patients laboring under in- 
fectious diseases; and also another for lunatics, where 
those unfortunate creatures are treated with all the care 
and attention which humanity dictates, and their situation 
requires. This benign establishment is an honor to the 
county, and well worthy of imitation by every state 
throughout the union. The soil of this town is inferior 
to none in the county, and most parts of it is in a high 
state of cultivation, furnishing abundance of produce to 
the Brooklyn and New York markets. Many of the 
farmers are wealthy, and there is an appearance of inde- 
pendence and comfort seldom witnessed in other places. 

FLATLANDS. 

This town, called by the Dutch New Amersfort, is 
bounded northerly by Flatbush, southerly by Jamaica 
bay, and westerly by Gravesend. Barren Island, situated 
upon the west side of Rockaway inlet, at the mouth of 
Jamaica bay, is attached to this town, and the south part 
of the town is indented by numerojus small bays. Along 
the shore of Jamaica bay is an extensive salt marsh, 
which yields abundance of hay of an inferior quality. 
With the exception of this marsh, there are no waste 
lands, the whole being divided into well cultivated and 
productive farms. The settlement was commenced in 



S'LATLANDS. » ^5 

1636, cotemporaneously with Gravesend ; and one of the' 
first grants for land'was that of Barren Island, which at 
that time was a great deal larger than it is at present, 
and was also covered with cedar and other timber. The 
woods have long since disappeared, and much of the 
island is composed of sand-hills, affording a scanty sub- 
sistence for a few cattle. Ex-Governor Van Twiller 
had a farm in this town at the time of the settlement, call- 
ed Van Twiller's Bowery for a long time after. The 
village of Flatlands is a very pretty spot, in the centre of 
which stands the Dutch Church, originally erected in 
1661, and has been twice rebuilt since. 

By the Duke's laws, (as they are called,) passed in 
1665, in relation to public officers, it was declared, that 
the ** Overseers shall be eight in number, men of good 
fame and life, chosen by the plurality of voyces of the 
freeholders in each town, whereof four shall remain in 
their office two years successively, and four shall be 
changed for new ones every year; which election shall 
precede the election of constables, in point of time, in 
regard that the constable for the year ensuing is to be 
chosen out of the number which are dismissed from their 
office of overseer." It was the duty of the overseers, to- 
gether with the constable, to hold town courts, for the trial 
of causes under five pounds. They, and the constable, 
were frequently to admonish the inhabitants *' to instruct 
their children and servants in matters of religion and the 
law es of the country ; to appoint an officer to record every 
man's particular marke, and to see each man's horse and 
colt branded." The constable and two overseers were 
to pay the value of an Indian coat for each wolf killed ; 
and '* cause the wolf's head to be nayled over the door 



36 FLATLANDS. 

of the constable, there to reraaine ; as also to cut off both 
the ears, in token that the head is bi*ought in and payd 
for." 

The custom of putting Dutch inscriptions upon tomb- 
stones, which was generally practised in former times, 
here and elsewhere in this county, was continued as late 
as 1770 ; and some may be seen even of a much later 
date in many of the burial-grounds. For the last fifty 
years the English language has been generally adopted 
in epitaphs and inscriptions. But many individuals, and 
even families, employ the Dutch language in their ordi- 
nary conversations with each other to this day. 

An extraordinary interview took place on the second 
of April, 1691, between the governor of New- York and 
a sachem of Long Island, attended by his two sons and 
twenty other Indians. The sachem, on being introduced, 
congratulated Governor Slaughter, in an eloquent man- 
ner, upon his arrival, and solicited his friendship and pro- 
tection for himself and his people ; observing that he had, 
in his own mind, fancied his excellency was a mighty tall 
tree, with loide spreading branches; and therefore he 
prayed leave to stoop under the shadow thereof. Of old 
(said he) the Indians were a great and inighty people, 
but now they are reduced to a mere handful. He con- 
cluded his visit by presenting the governor with ?>() fa- 
thoms of wampum, which he graciously accepted, and de- 
sired the sachem to visit him again in the afternoon. On 
taking their leave, the youngest son of the sachem handed 
a bundle of brooms to the officer in attendance, saying at 
the same time, "that as Leisler and his party had left the 
house very foul, he had brought the brooms with him for 
the purpose of making it clean again." In the afternoon 



PLATLANDS. 37 

the sacliem and his party again visited the governor, who 
made a speech to them, and on receiving a few presents 
they departed. 

It is stated in the New-York Gazette of the thirteenth 
of August, 1781 : '* On the night of the 4th inst. the crew 
of a rebel whale-boat from New Jersey landed near Flat- 
lands on Long Island, and robbed the house of Col. Lett 
of about six hundred pounds, and carried off two of his 
slaves with them. They also robbed the house of Captain 
Lett of a considerable amount in specie." 

The surface of this town is, as its name indicates, a 
perfect level ; the soil is a light sandy loam, pleasant to 
till; and from the skill and industry of its farming popu- 
lation, it yields a great production, far more than is re- 
quired for the consumption of the inhabitants. The peo- 
ple are generally very economical, and modern fashion 
has not yet extinguished their love of simplicity and 
substantial comforts. The character of the inhabitants 
of this town, is well portrayed by James Stewart, (the 
traveller,) when he says, that " some of the farmers of 
Long Island are wealthy men, but are, in general, con- 
tented to live comfortably and hospitably, with all the 
ordinary necessaries and many of the conveniences of 
life, without ostentation or pride, and without seeming 
to care so much about money as many other classes of 
people do in this country." To satisfy any doubt that 
may be entertained in regard to the prevalence of good 
order and morality in this and the adjoining towns, the 
following facts afford tolerable satisfactory evidence. 
Elias Hubbard, Esquire, a respectable magistrate of this 
town, states, that he has held the office of justice of the 
peace therein for more than twelve years, and during 



38 NEW UTRECHT. 

that period has transacted most of- the judicial busi-' 
ness for Flatlands, Flatbush, New Utrecht, and Graves- 
end; and dariag the whole time has scarcely had a dozen 
trials, and only two suits at law in which a jury was de- 
manded ; that another gentleman held the office of justice 
in the town of Gravesend for eight years, and during 
that period, there was but one trial by jury ; and, even in 
the case alluded to, the difference was compromised by 
the parties before the jury had delivered their verdict 
into court. Such a peaceable disposition in the people 
is highly creditable and honorable to them, as well as the 
local authorities under which they live. 

It was upon Barren Island that the notorious pirate, 
Gibbs, and his associates in crime, secreted a portion of the 
ill-gotten wealth they had acquired by plundering on the 
high seas ; a part of which only has been recovered. The 
names of the pirates were Charles Gibbs, Thomas Wans- 
ley, Robert Dawes, and John Brownrig. The last of 
whom saved his life by becoming a witness against his 
accomplices, who were convicted, and executed upon 
Gibbet Island, in the harbor of New- York, in the latter 
part of 1830. 

NEW UTRECHT. 

This town is bounded on the north by Brooklyn and 
Flatbush, east by Gravesend, and west and south by 
Gravesend bay, and the Narrows opposite Staten Island. 
It was settled in 1654, by about twenty families from 
Holland, and a few palatines ; who at first erected a 
block-house, as well for security against the natives, as 
from the hordes of wandering savages, robbers, and pi- 
rates, which at that time, and for several years after, in- 



NEW UTRECHT. 39 

fested the country and the adjacent coast, to such a de- 
gree, that the interposition of the government became 
absolutely necessary for the protection of the inhabitants 
of this and the adjoining towns, who, from their position, 
were greatly exposed to their predatory excursions. 

The population of this part of the country increased 
in a very slow degree compared with other places in the 
vicinity, in consequence of the constant danger appre- 
hended from the attacks of enemies ; the first steps taken 
to organize a separate community was in 1660, when, on 
application to the governor, he appointed a schout or con- 
stable for the town, together with a secretary or clerk, 
and an assessor, with power to make a division among the 
inhabitants of the land held in common; to cause the same 
to be enclosed and cultivated ; to lay out a street or high- 
way through the village ; to make arrangements for 
erecting a place of defence, with a mill to it, and a well 
by it, at the common charge of the people ; to decide dif- 
ferences among individuals, and do as other village courts 
are accustomed to do. In 1662, a patent was obtained 
from G-overnor Stuy vesant, by which the inhabitants were 
liot only confirmed in the several purchases and divisions 
of land already made, but were vested with the right of 
pre-emption of all the remaining lands not included in the 
patents previously granted to the adjoining towns. By 
this patent they were partially incorporated, (as it were,) 
with power to build a town, to elect magistrates subject 
to the approval of the governor, and to hold town courts 
for the trial of causes not exceeding five pounds in value. 
Another patent or grant, in confirmation of the foregoing 
one, was issued by Governor Nicolls on the fifteenth of 



40 NEW UTRECHT. 

August, 1666, in which the boundaries of the town are 
particularly described. 

The paucity of the records of this town, as well as the 
difficulty of deciphering them, such as there are, render 
it almost impossible to obtain any information relative to 
the early history of its inhabitants. 

It was off the shores of this town that the squadron un- 
der the command of Colonel Richard Nicolls, destined 
to be the future English governor of New York, anchored 
in 1664; and the first communication addressed to the 
Dutch governor bears date on board the ship Guyney, 
riding off Nayack, on the 20th of August of that year. 
The place at that time known by this name is near the 
present site of Fort Hamilton, and it is a delightful place 
of residence, being in sight of the ocean ; it commands a 
full view of all the shipping entering and leaving the har- 
bor of New York, and the steam boats passing down the 
bay. It has now become an important military station, by 
the construction of a fort and batteries, and the mainte- 
nance of a considerable garrison for the defence of the 
harbor. Several handsome buildings have been erected, 
and few situations can boast of a more sublime and beau- 
tiful prospect. A handsome Episcopal church, called St» 
John's, was built a few years since, which adds much to 
the appearance of the place. In 1836 a company was 
incorporated, for the purpose of making a Rail-road from 
Brooklyn to Fort Hamilton, Bath, and Coney Island, which 
has not been commenced as yet, but should it be accom- 
plished, would make them places of much greater resort 
during the summer than they are at present. The village 
of New Utrecht is pleasantly situated on a fine plain, 
about nine miles south of Brooklyn ; there are about fif- 



NEW UTRECHT. 41 

teen or sixteen dwelling-houses, and a Dutch Reformed 
Church in it. This church was originally built in 1700 ^ 
and was occupied during the revolution, as most of the 
other Dutch churches were, for a store, a hospital, or a 
prison, as best suited the enemy. The present church 
was erected in 1829, nearly upon the site of the old one ; 
it is a substantial stone edifice, and an important feature 
in the general appearance of this delightful little village. 
Bath House and village is upon the margin of the bay, a 
mile and a half from the Narrows, or entrance of New 
York harbor, having a full view of the military works, and 
the commerce of the bay. It has been a favorite place 
of resort for sea bathing for many years. There is a good 
hotel here, which is well conducted ; it has a lawn in front, 
beautifully shaded by trees, where the luxury of the 
ocean breezes may be enjoyed to the fullest extent during 
the heat of summer. It is the nearest watering place to 
NewYork, and new accommodations have been recently 
erected within a short distance of the beach, which com- 
mands a charming prospect of the ocean. It was near to 
this delightful spot that the British army, under the com- 
mand of Sir William Howe, protected by the guns of 
their fleet, effected a landing on the 22d of August, 1776, 
which was followed, in a few days after, by the disastrous 
battle of Long Island. The surface of the town, south 
of the hills, is perfectly smooth and level; but along 
the shore of the Narrows it is rough and uneven. 
The woody ridge that borders the town is the western 
termination of the range of hills which extend to the 
eastern part of Southhold, and is generally denominated 
the spine of the ridge of Long Island. The shad fishery 
of this town is one of the most important and valuable in 

4* 



42 NEW UTRECHT. 

this part of the country, and many of .the inhabitants en- 
gage in it, during the season, and find it a very profita- 
ble employment. It is affirmed that ten thousand of these 
fish have been caught at a single draught. 

Some years ago, on digging a few feet below the sur- 
face at the Narrows, more than a wagon load of Indian 
stone arrow heads were discovered lying together, under 
circumstances calculated to induce the belief, that a large 
manufactory of those indispensable articles of Indian 
warfare once existed at this place; they were of all sizes, 
Trom one to six inches in length, some perfect, others 
only partly finished. There was also a number of blocks 
of the same kind of stone found in the same rough state 
as when brought from the quarry; they had the appear- 
ance of ordinary flint, and were nearly as hard ; not only 
arrow heads, but axes, and other articles of domestic utility, 
were made from these stones. It will perhaps forever 
remain a matter of surprise and conjecture, how these 
native artificers, destitute, as they were, of iron tools, or 
even a knowledge of the use of them, could form and 
polish, with such exquisite art, so many various instru- 
ments from so hard a material. 

In addition to the patents before mentioned, another 
was granted to this town by Governor Dongan, on the 
13th of May, 1636, confirming the former patents. 

In 1706, the negroes, who had become numerous not 
only in the city of New York, but also in Kings county, 
Long Island, were so disorderly and dangerous to the 
peace and safety of the people, that the government was 
obliged to take measures for restraining their depreda- 
tions upon the community. ^, 

On the 26th of May, 1836, an act was passed to incor- 



GRAVESEND. 



43 



porate the New Utrecht Dock and Steamboat Company, 
but nothing has been done, as yet, to carry this very desi- 
rable measure into operation. 

GRAVESEND. 

This town occupies the most southerly part of Kings 
county, including Coney island, which is washed by the 
Atlantic ocean. It is bounded on the east by Flatlands, 
south by the sea, and west by New Utrecht ; it is of a 
triangular shape, with its base upon the ocean, and ter- 
minating northerly in a point adjoining Flatbush. Much 
of the territory of the town consists of salt-marsh, not 
more than one third of it being improved by cultivation ; 
the surface is generally pretty level, but near the sea 
shore there are some ridges of sand hills. This town, 
unlike the rest of the county, was settled by English peo- 
ple from Massachusetts, as early as 1640, who gave it the 
name of Gravesend, after the place from whence they 
came in England, when they embarked for America. 
They were soon after joined by a small colony of Eng- 
lish quakers, accompanied by Lady Deborah Moody, a 
woman of rank, wealth, and education, who, with several 
others residing at Lynn, Sandwich, and other towns in 
New England, had imbibed the sentiments of George 
Fox, and being objects of jealousy and persecution with 
the Puritans there, determined to settle elsewhere. 

Considering the situation of this town, calculated for a 
commercial village, they proceeded to lay out ten acres 
of ground, near the centre of it, into streets and squares, 
which they enclosed with a palisado defence. The plan 
of the village is still preserved in the clerk's office of the 
town, and is worthy of admiration for its beautiful sim= 



44 G^RAVESfiNt). 

plicity. It seems that the project of making it a commer- 
cial port was abandoned, on it being discovered that there 
was not sufficient depth of water for vessels of a large 
class. 

One of the original squares of the contemplated city, 
was occupied by the courthouse of the county, so long as 
the court continued to be held there ; another, was the 
site of the first Dutch church ; and the third has long been 
used as a public cemetery. On the same plot also, there 
are many of the graves of the first quakers, the whole of 
which have long since been levelled by the plough, ex- 
cept that of Peter Sullivan and his wife, at the head of 
which is a large granite slab, on which is sculptured simp- 
ly the names of the deceased. As this particular sect 
make no use of such memorials, it was probably placed 
there by some friend or relative, who was not a quaker. 
The first patent, or ground-brief, of this town, was grant- 
ed by Governor Kieft, in 1643, to Antonie Jansen Van 
Sale, (or Anthony Johnson,) for one hundred raorgen of 
land, which was afterwards known as the old Bowery. 
A morgen of land was a little less than two acres, Dutch 
measure, consisting of six hundred square Dutch rods^ 
On the 14th of May, 1644, a patent was also granted to 
Guiesbert Op-Dyck of Coney island, called in the patent 
Cunny island, and by the Dutch, Conyen eylan4t, prob- 
ably from the name of an individual who had possessed 
some part of it. Tine Island, then called Conyne Hook, 
was at that time separated from the former by a creek, 
but it has since disappeared. The latter, was most prob- 
ably the spot where the discoverer, Hudson, and his crew, 
landed in 1609, "before entering the bay of New York. 
A general patent for this town, written both in Dutch and 



GRAVE SEND. 45 

English, was granted by Governor Keift, on the 19th of 
December, 1645. The patentees named therein, are the 
Lady Deborah Moody, Sir Henry Moody, Baronet, En- 
sign George Baxter, and Sergeant James Hubbard, and 
their associates. 

The circumstance of this patent being granted to a fe- 
male, and she being the first named in it, is a matter of 
some curiosity ; and in connexion with events hereinafter 
mentioned, exhibits the Lady Moody in a very conspi- 
cuous light. She being a considerable personage in 
the early settlement of the town, the following particulars 
of her history will not be uninteresting to the reader. 
It is mentioned in the publication of Mr. Alonzo Lewis, 
entitled, " The History of Lynn,'' that the Lady Deborah 
Moody came to that town in the year 1640. In 1635 she 
went from one of the remote counties in England to Lon- 
don, where she remained in opposition to a statute which 
directed that no person should reside beyond a limited 
time from their own homes. On the twenty-first of April in 
that year, the court of star-chamber ordered that *' Dame 
Deborah Mowdie," and others, should return to their 
hereditaments in forty days, as a good example necessary 
for the poorer class. Soon after her arrival at Lynn, she 
united with the church of Salem ; and on the thirteenth of 
May, the court granted her four hundred acres of land. 
In 1641 she purchased the farm of the deputy-governor, 
John Humphry, called Swamscut, for which she paid 
c;€ 1,100. Sometime after she became imbued with the 
erroneous idea that the baptism of infants was a sinful or- 
dinance, and she was therefore excommunicated ; and in 
1643 she removed to Long Island. Governor Winthrop, 
in his journal, says, that "in 1643 Lady Moody was in 



46 GRAVE SEND. 

the colony of Massachusetts, a wise and anciently re- 
ligious woman ; and being taken with the error of deny- 
ing baptism to infants, was dealt with accordingly by 
many of the elders and others, and admonished by the 
church of Salem, whereof she was a member ; but per- 
sisting still, and to avoid farther trouble, &c. she removed 
to the Dutch settlements, against the advice of her 
friends." " After her arrival at Long Island, (says Mr. 
Lewis,) she experienced much trouble from the Indians, 
her house being assailed by them many times. Her 
wealth enabled her to render assistance to G-ovemor 
Stuyvesant, in some trouble with the neighboring settlers, 
in 1654; and so great was her influence over him, that 
he conceded, in part, the nomination of the magistrates 
to her. In the quarterly court records, her son is styled 
Sir Henry Moody." "At the same court, fourteenth of 
December, 1642, the Lady Deborah Moody, Mrs. King, 
and the wife of John Tilton, were presented, for holding 
that the baptism of infants is no ordinance of God," 
From these historical records we learn the reason why 
the Lady Moody, her son Sir Henry Moody, Ensign 
Baxter, Sergeant Hubbard, John Tilton, and others of her 
associates and friends, left New England, and located 
themselves at Gravesend, where they hoped to enjoy the 
most perfect freedom of opinion, unawed by the civil 
power, and be allowed unmolested to propagate those 
religious opinions which to them seemed most agreeable 
to their principles of reason and justice. All which, it 
seems, was intended to be secured by the patent above 
mentioned ; how far it was realized under the governor's 
successor, will appear hereafter, when we view the per- 
secutions practised upon the Quakers of this and other 



GRAVESEND. 47 

towns under the Dutch jurisdiction. Lady Moody pro- 
bably retained a portion of her large real estate in New 
England ; for Governor Winthrop says, that in 1646 the 
house of Lady Moody, at Salem, was injured by a tempest, 
the roof being torn off; which fact he mentions in a letter 
to his son, John Winthrop, then living at Fisher's Island. 
A release or conveyance was obtained from the Canarsee 
Indians for Gravesend Neck and Conyne Island, on the 
seventh of May, 1654. Other conveyances in different 
parts of the town were procured at different times, both 
by the town and by individuals, which in the end occa- 
sioned no small difficulty, in consequence of the clashing 
of boundaries, the descriptions of which were frequently 
very inconsistent, not being properly defined in the deeds 
drawn up at that time. 

On the first of January, 1643, a soldier was convicted 
before the court of sessions at Gravesend of having left 
his station while on guard, and was punished by being 
compelled to sit upon a wooden horse during the parade, 
with a pitcher in one hand, and a drawn sword in the 
other, to show that he liked beer better than his duty, 
and that his courage was always in proportion to the quan- 
tity of beer he consumed. " At a town meetings held 
September the 27th, 1644, it was voted^ that those who 
have boweries, (farms,) should have fifty morgen of up- 
land, with meadow proportionable to their stock; and it' 
was further ordered, that if any did not build a habitable 
house upon it before the last day of May next, should be 
defaulted, and forfeit their land to the town." The re- 
cords of this town, which were uniformly kept in the 
English language, are still preserved almost entire. They 
comnjence with the year 1645, and for a series of years, 



48 GRAVE SEND. 

are chiefly occupied with the records of wills, inventories, 
letters of administration, and a variety of private contracts, 
bargains, sales, &c. In January, 1648, the town elected 
Sergeant James Hubbard, a man of respectability and 
influence, to execute the ofiice of schout, or constable, 
which was considered as one of much importance. On 
the 14th of April, 1649, John Furman agreed with the 
town to keep their calves three months for twenty 
guilders a month, to be paid in money, tohaccOj or com, 
and some hitters, if desired. 

In March, 1650, it was required of every owner of a 
lot of ground, to pay one guilder towards the common 
charges of the town ; and in December of the same year, 
it was ordered that every man should fence the head of 
his lot upon the town square with a sufficient quantity of 
palisades ; within this enclosure, which included the 
original town-plot of ten acres, the inhabitants secured 
their cattle during the night, and themselves also, when 
apprehensive of danger from the natives, in which case 
an armed guard was employed. That wolves were both 
plentiful and mischievous at that time, appears from the 
fact, that on the 8th of August, 1650, three guilders were 
ofiered for each wolf killed in the town, and two guilders 
forafox. It was also ordered, that every man be provided 
with agun, a pound of powder, and two pounds of lead, or 
bullets. Every owner of a house was likewise required to 
provide himself with a ladder of twenty feet or more in 
length. It was also voted, and agreed upon in town 
meeting, that whoever should transgress in word or deed, 
by defaming, scandalizing, slandering, or falsely accu- 
sing any, to the hreacli of the peace, and the reproach of 
the place, should suffer condign punishment according 



GRAVE SEND. 49 

to his demerit;, as might be thouglit fit by the magistrate, 
either by fine, imprisonment, or stocking (standing) at a 
^public iiost. 

In 1654, Governor Stuyvesant rejected certain per- 
sons who had been nominated by the town for magis- 
trates; these were Baxter and Hubbard, who had ren- 
dered themselves obnoxious to him, by their fidelity to 
the people, and their opposition to the arbitrary mea- 
sures of his administration. This act gave great offence to 
the inhabitants, and the popular indignation rose to so 
high a pitch, that his Excellency found it expedient to go 
in person to Gravesend ; and in order to allay the general 
excitement, he was induced to avail himself of the popu- 
larity and influence of the Lady Moody, and even com- 
mitted the appointment of the magistrates to her discre- 
tion. Whether this remarkable woman continued here 
till her death, or returned to New England, is not known. 
It is supposed that while she remained here, she owned 
and occupied the farm of the late Van Brunt Megaw, now 
owned by Samuel Smith, Esq., one of the best in the coun- 
ty. It appears that the neighboring Indians were some- 
times very troubleseme to the white settlers ; and on one oc- 
casion, a considerable body of Indians from the main land 
attacked the place, particularly the house of Lady Moody, 
and would have destroyed her and her family, (as they 
did Lady Ann Hutchinson and her party, at Throg's 
Point, a short time before,) had they not been overpow- 
ered by the number and courage of the inhabitants. Up- 
on the Dutch records in the office of the state, is the fol- 
lowing entry, bearing date March 25th, 1643. " Where- 
as, in some time past, several misunderstandings have ta- 
ken place between the savages of Long Island, and our 

5 



50 GRAVESEND. 

nation, by which, from both sides, the .blood has streamed 
upon the land, the houses have been robbed and burned, 
with the killing of the stock, and carrying oiFthe corn by 
the Indians, so it is, that between us and them, who al- 
ready follow the banner of their great chief Pennowit, a 
solid peace has been established,^ so that all injuries, from 
whatever side, are hereby forgiven and forgotten." 

A confirmation patent for this town was obtained from 
Governor Nicolls, on the 13th of August, 1668, in which 
the boundaries do not vary from those described in the 
patent of Governor Kieft, in 1644. An additional patent 
was also issued on the 1st of July, 1670, by Governor 
Lovelace. 

On the 26th of March, 1677, an agreement was enter- 
ed into between the tow^ns of Gravesend and New- 
Utrecht, in relation totheir boundaries, which was confirm- 
ed by Governor Dongan on tha 10th of September, 
1686. 

*' At a Court of Sessions, held at Gravesend, 21st of 
June, 1676, John Cooke and John Tilton being quakers, 
and refusing to take the oath, were ordered to give their 
engagement to Mr. Justice Hubbard, to perform their 
office as overseers, under the penalty of perjury." At 
the same court, holden December the 17th, 1679, Mr. 
Joseph Lee, deputy sheriff, presented Ferdinandus Van 
Strickland, for refusing to give entertainment to a stran- 
ger who came from Huntington, about business to this 
court ; upon which the court did order, that if the said Fer- 
dinandus does not make his submission to the sheriff and 
the justices to-morrow, that he be dismissed from 
tappings that is, to be deprived of his license. It is 
believed that many of the friends, (quakers,) who had 
settled in this town, removed to New" Jersey, at or about 



* GRAVE SEND. 51 

tlie time that George Fox visited Longlsland, in the year 
1672. 

Coney Island, on the seaboard, is a place of great resort 
for strangers during the summer season ; it is constantly 
fanned by cool sea breezes, and there is an unlimited 
view of the ocean. It is separated from the main of Long 
Island by a narrow creek or inlet, over which a handsome 
bridge has been erected. There is a fine spacious hotel 
here, called the Ocean House, which is conducted in a 
superior manner ; a rail-road is attached to the establish- 
ment, and cars leave the hotel for the beach, a distance 
of eighty rods, at particular intervals during the day. 
The bathing at this place is not surpassed by any in the 
United States. The beach is a beautiful white sand. The 
island is about five miles long and one wide, and is en- 
tirely an alluvial formation. The destructive effect of 
ocean storms has long been very visible here, for much 
of what was once Coney Island has now disappeared. It 
has been conjectured by some persons that Coney Island 
proper, two hundred years ago, lay at the entrance of 
Sandy Hook, and was separated from the present Coney 
Island by a channel of considerable width, which is sup- 
posed to have been entirely demolished by a storm about 
1715. It is well ascertained that in 1643, there was a 
convenient harbor for vessels of a large size, which is 
now in a great measure filled up. The exposed situa- 
tion of this island subjects it to great encroachments of 
the sea, and to the probability that at some future (though 
perhaps distant) period it will be entirely destroyed. In 
a terrible gale which occurred upon the coast on the 26th 
of January, 1839, the whole of Coney Island, with the 
exception of a few sand-hills, was completely inundated 



52 GRAVE SEND. 

by the sea ; the basement of the Ocean House was filled 
with water ; the bridge was carried away, several small 
vessels were cast on shore, and one was driven a consi- 
derable distance towards Flallands. 

The first church built in this town was by the Dutch 
in 1655 ; it was rebuilt in 1770, and stood till 1833, when 
the present church was erected. It is situated upon one 
of the original squares of the town-plot made by the first 
settlers, and near the place where the court-house for- 
merly stood. The court of sessions for Kings county 
was held here till the ridings were abolished in 1685, 
when it was removed to Flatbush. All the lands in this 
town were laid out in reference to the original plan of 
the village, the exterior lines of most of the farms con- 
verging towards the centre, like the radii of a circle. The 
soil is light and sandy, but is generally pretty well culti- 
vated; and the surplus produce of the farms is supposed 
to exceed forty thousand bushels of different kinds of 
grain annually, which is a permanent source of wealth to 
its inhabitants, whose number is nearly seven hundred. 

In many of the Dutch patents there was a clause, re- 
quiring the patentees and their associates, after the ex- 
piration of ten years from the date thereof, to pay, by 
way of quit-rent, to the governor, or his agent lawfully 
authorized to receive the same, one tenthpart of all the 
produce of the lands cultivated by them; and as difficul- 
ties and disputes sometimes occurred in reference there- 
to, Governor Stuyvesant issued a peremptory order, on 
the 6th of June, 1656, prohibiting the inhabitants of 
Flatlands, Flatbush, and Brooklyn, from removing their 
crops of grain from the fields, until the tythes reserved by 
their patents had either been taken or commuted for. 



The Census of Kings County, taken in 1835. 



* City of Brooklyn 1st Ward 

.2d do. 


Males. 

680 
2419 
1204 
2731 
2391 
1120 
1078 
286 
438 


Females. 

843 

2255 

1560 

2993 

2119 

1019 

964 

201 

228 


Totiil. 

1523 
4674 
2764 
5724 
4510 
2139 
2042 
487 
666 


.3d do. 


4th do. 


5th do. 


6th do. 


7th do. 


8ih do. 


9th do. 




Town of Bushwickj and Williamsburgh . . 
Flatbush 


12347 


12182 


24529 


1889 
847 
363 
733 
371 


1436 
690 
321 
554 
324 


3325 
1537 

684 

1287 


Flatlands 


New Utrecht 


Gravesend 


Total Population of Kings Co. (exclusive o 




f 231 P 


aupers) 32057] 




1820 
1825 
1830 
1835 

1840 


iiinaDUuntj 

7175 
10791 


. Increase. 




.3fi1fi 




12403 1612 
•24529 12126 






not kn 


own. 1 



The Census is not yet completed for 1840, but it is supposed the po- 
pulation of Brooklyn will exceed 35,000. 



PfOlTAiifAJHZa 






1>J Cv 






.Tff;ir^ 



' »^, 






H. 



S 
1 
1 

fl 

r 

or 

a 
h 






-rt^^-iS^ 



All 



y 






^, 



THE BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

After the commencement of hostilities in 1776, New 
York beinsr situated near the centre of the colonial sea- 
board, and consequently readily accessible from the sea, 
was selected by the British as the principal point for their 
future operations. AVith this view, the first division of 
their army arrived at Staten Island in the latter part of 
June that year, followed, about the middle of July, by 
the grand armament under Lord Howe, consisting of six 
ships of the line, thirty frigates, with smaller armed ves- 
sels, and a great number of transports, victuallers, and 
ships with ordnance stores. 

The Americans anticipating the invasion of Long Isl- 
and, had fortified Brooklyn before the arrival of the Bri- 
tish at Staten Island. A line of intrenchment was formed 
from a ditch near the late toll-house of the bridge at the 
Navy-yard to Fort Green, then called Fort Putman, and 
from thence to Freek's mill-pond. A strong work was 
erected on the lands of Johannis Debevoice and Van 
Brunt, a redoubt was thrown up on Boemus' Hill, opposite 
Brown's Mill, and another on the land of John Johnson, 
west of Fort Green. Ponkiesberg, now Fort Swift, was 
fortified, and a fort built on the land of Mr. Hicks, on 
Brooklyn Heights. Such were the defences of Brooklyn 
in 1776, while chevauxdefrise was sunk in the main chan- 
nel of the river below New York. The troops of both 
divisions of the British army, soon after their arrival in 
the bay, were landed on Staten Island to recruit their 
strength after the voyage, and prepare for the coming 
conflict. It was not until the middle of August, that a 
first landing on Long Island was made by them, which 



56 BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

was effected at New Utrecht or Bath. • Here they were 
joined by many royalists, who, it was supposed, acted 
the part of guides and informers to the enemy. Ge- 
neral Sir Henry Clinton also arrived about the same 
time, with the troops reconducted from the expedition to 
Charleston. And Commodore Hotham soon after ap- 
peared with reinforcements under his escort ; so that, in 
a short time, the hostile army amounted to about twenty- 
four thousand men, consisting of English, Hessians, and 
Waldeckers. Several regiments of Hessian infantry 
were expected to arrive shortly, when the army would 
be swelled to the number of thirty-five thousand, of the 
best troops of Europe, all abundantly supplied with arms 
and ammunition, and manifesting extreme ardor for the 
service of their king. Their plan of operations was, first 
to get possession of New York, which was deemed of 
the most paramount importance. Then, if General Car- 
leton, after having passed, as it was hoped he would, the 
lakes of Canada, could penetrate to the banks of the 
Hudson, and descend that river at the same time that 
General Howe should ascend it, their junction would 
have the immediate effect of interrupting all communica- 
tion between the provinces of New England, on the left 
bank, and the middle and southern provinces on the 
right* while General Howe was seconded in his inva- 
sion of New York by the twelve or thirteen thousand 
men from Canada under General Carleton. General 
Clinton was to operate in the provinces to the South, and 
to attack Charleston. The American troops being thus 
divided, and their generals surprised and pressed on all 
sides, it was not doubted but the British arms would soon 
obtain a complete triumph. But, in executing this bold 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 57 

design, they had counted too much on an admirable con- 
currence of a great number of parts, and had not taken 
into account the difficulties of the winds and seasons. 
Admiral Howe did not arrive until after Clinton's expe- 
dition against Charleston had totally failed, and the 
army of Canada was interrupted at the lakes. It was 
still, however, confidently expected that General Howe 
alone would be able to make it a decisive campaign. 

To resist this impending storm, congress had ordered 
the construction of rafts, gun-boats, galleys, and floating 
batteries, for the defence of the port of New York, and 
the mouth of the Hudson. They had also decreed that 
thirteen thousand of the provincial militia should join the 
army of General Washington, who, being seasonably ap- 
prized of the danger of^New York, had made a movement 
into that quarter ; they also directed the organization of 
a corps of ten thousand men, to serve as a reserve in the 
central provinces. All the weakest posts had been care^ 
fully intrenched, and furnished with artillery. A strono- 
detachment occupied Long Island, to prevent the English 
from landing there, if possible, or to repulse them, should 
they effect a debarkation. But the army of congress was 
very far from being able to bear the brunt of so terrible 
a war. It wanted arms, and was wasted by diseases. The 
reiterated calls of the commander in chief for reinfurce- 
naents, had brought into his camp the militia of the neigh- 
boring provinces, and some regular regiments from Mary- 
land, Pennsylvania, and New England, which had swelled 
his army to twenty-seven thousand men in number ; but 
one fourth of these troops were invalids, and scarcely 
another fourth of them were furnished with arms. 



58 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 



The American army, such as it was, occupied the po* 
sitions that were best adaptedto coverthe menaced points. 
The corps which had been stationed on Long Island, was 
commanded by Major-General Green, who, on account 
of sickness, was afterwards succeeded by General Sulli- 
van. The main body of the army was encamped on the 
island of New York, which, it appeared was likely to re- 
ceive the first attack of the Ensrlish. 

o 

Two feeble detachments guarded Governor's island 
and the point of Paulus' Hook. The militia of the pro- 
vince, commanded by the American General Clinton, 
were posted upon the banks of the Sound, where they 
occupied East and West Chester, and New Rochelle, 
— for it was to be feared that the enemy, landing in force 
upon the north shore of the Sound, might penetrate as far 
as Kingsbridge, and thus entirely lock up all the Ameri- 
can troops on the island of New York. Lord Howe,. 
the commander in chief of the British forces, made some 
overtures of peace upon terms of submission to the roy- 
al clemency, which resulting in nothing, decided him in 
making an attack on Long Island. " Accordingly," says 
Botta, "on the twenty-second of August, the British fleet 
approached the Narroivs ; all the troops found an easy 
and secure landing place between the villages of Graves- 
end and New Utrecht, where they debarked without 
meeting with the least resistance on the part of the 
Americans. A great part of the American army, under 
the command of General Putnam, was encamped at 
Brooklyn, a part of the island which forms a sort of pe- 
ninsula. He had strongly fortified the entrance of it, 
with moats and intrenchments, his left wing resting upon 
Wallahout bay, and his light covered by the marsh con- 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 59 

tiguous to Gowanus' Cove. Behind him he had Govern- 
or's island, and the arm of the sea which separates Long 
Island from the island of New York, which gave him a 
direct communication with the city, where the other part 
of the army was stationed under Washington himself. 
The commander in chief, perceiving that the battle 
was approaching, continually exhorted his men to keep 
their ranks, and summon all their courage j he reminded 
them, that upon their valor rested the only hope of 
American liberty ; that upon their firmness and resist- 
ance depended the preservation or pillage of their pro- 
perty; that they were about to combat in defence of their 
parents, their wives, and their children, from the outrages 
of a licentious soldiery ; that the eyes of America were 
fixed upon them as her champions, and expected from 
their success on that day either safety or total destruc- 
tion." 

The English having effected their landing, marched 
rapidly forward. The two armies wqyg separated by a 
chain of hills, covered with woods, called the heights, 
which, running from west to east, divide the island, as it 
were, into two parts. They are only practicable upon 
three points ; one of which is near the Narrows, the se- 
cond, the road leading to the centre through the village 
of FJatbusJi, and the third is approached, far to the right, 
by the village of Flatlands. Upon the summit of the 
hills, there is a road, which continues along the whole 
length of the range, and leads from Bedford to Jamaica, 
which is intersected by the two roads last described : these 
ways are interrupted by precipices, and exceedingly dif- 
ficult and narrow defiles. 

The American general, wishing to arrest the enemy in 



60 BATTLE OF LOXG ISLAND. 

his progress, had carefully furnished .the heights with 
troops ; so that, if all had done their duty, the English 
would not have been able to force the passes without the 
greatest difficulty and danger. The posts werB so fre- 
quent upon the road from Bedford to Jamaica, that it was 
easy to transmit the most prompt intelligence of what 
passed upon these three routes, from one point to 
another. Colonel Miles, with his battalion, was ap- 
pointed to guard the road to Flatlands, and scour it con- 
tinually with his scouts, as well as the road to Jamaica, 
in order to reconnoitre the movements of the enemy. 
Meanwhile, the British army pressed forward, its left 
wing being to the north, and its right to the south ; the 
village of Flatbush being in the centre. The Hessians, 
commanded by General de Heister, formed the main body ; 
the English, under Major General Grant, the left; and 
other corps conducted by General Clinton, and the two 
Lords, Percy and Cornwallis, composed the right. In 
this wing the British generals placed their principal hope 
of success; and directed it upon Flatlands. Their plan 
was, that while the corps of General Grant, and the 
Hessians of General Heister, should distress and annoy 
the enemy upon the two first defiles, the left wing, tak- 
ing a circuitous rout, should march through Flatlands, 
and endeavor to seize the point of intersection of this 
road with that of Jamaica ; and then rapidly descending 
into the plain which extends at the foot of the heights 
upon the other side, should fall upon the Americans in 
flank and rear. The English hoped, as this point was 
the farthest from the centre of the army, the advanced 
guards would be found more feeble there, and perhaps 
more negligent; finally, they calculated that the Ameri' 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 61 

cans vvoakl not be able to defend it against so superior 
a force. The right wing- of the Eno^lish was the most 
numerous, and entirely composed of the best and most 
select troops. 

The evenhig of the twenty-sixth of August, General 
Clinton commanded the vanguard, which consisted of 
light infantry ; Lord Percy the centre, composed of the 
grenadiers, the artillery, and the cavalry; and Lord Corn- 
wallis the rearguard, followed by the baggage, and some 
regiments of infantry and heavy artillery ; this part of 
the English army put itself in motion with admirable 
order and silence, and leaving Flatlands, traversed the 
country called New Lotts. Colonel Miles, who this night 
had relaxed in his duty, did not perceive the approach of 
the enemy ; so that two hours before day-break, the Eng- 
lish had arrived within half a mile of the road leading to 
Jamaica, upon the heights. Then General Clinton halted, 
and prepared himself for the attack. He met one of the 
American patriots, and made him prisoner. General 
Sullivan, who commanded all the troops in advance of 
the camp of Brooklyn, had no advice of what had passed 
in this quarter. He neglected to send out fresh scouts, 
supposing the English would direct their principal force 
against his right wing, that being the nearest to them j 
but in that he was mistaken. 

General Clinton, learning from his prisoners that the 
road to Jamaica was not guarded, hastened to avail him- 
self of the circumstance, and occupied it by a rapid 
movement. Without loss of time, he immediately bore 
on his left towards Bedford, and seized an important de- 
file, which the American generals had left unguard.'d. 
From that moment, the success of the day was decided 

6 



62 BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

in favor of the English. Lord Percy came up with his 
corps ; and the entire column descended, by the village 
of Bedford, from the heights, into the plain which lay be- 
tween the hills and the camp of the Americans. During 
this time, General Grant, in order to amuse the eriemy, 
and direct his attention from the events which had taken 
place upon the route of Flatlands, endeavored to disquiet 
him upon his right ; accordingly, as if he intended to 
force the defile w^hich led to it, he put himself in motion 
about midnight, and attacked the miUtia of New York 
and Pennsylvania, v/ho guarded it. At first they gave 
ground ; but General Parsons being arrived, and having 
occupied an eminence, he renewed the combat, and main- 
tained his position till Brigadier General Lord Stirling 
came to his assistance with about fifteen hundred men. 
The action now became general and extremely animated 
on both sides, fortune favoring: neither one or the other. 
The Hessians had attacked the centre at break of day ; 
and the Americans, commanded by General Sullivan in 
person, fought valiantly. At the same time, the English 
ships, after making several movements, opened a brisk 
cannonade against a battery established at Red Hook 
Point, upon the right flank of the Americans, who com- 
bated against General Grant. This, also, was a diver- 
sion, the object of which was to prevent them from at- 
tending to what passed in the centre and on the left. The 
Americans, however, defended themselves wdth crreat 
bravery, ignorant, as they were, that so much valor was 
exerted in vain, as the victory was already in the hands 
of the enemy. General Clinton having descended into 
the plain, fell upon the left flank of the centre, Avhich 
was engaged with the Hessians. He had also previously 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 63 

detached a small corps in order to intercept the Ameri- 
cans. 

iis soon as the appearance of the English light infantry- 
apprized the Americans of their danger, they sounded 
the retreat, and retired in good order towards their camp, 
bringing off their artillery. But they fell in with a 
party of royal troops which had occupied the ground in 
their rear, who charged them with fury ; and they were 
compelled to throw themselves into the neighboring 
woods, where they again met with the Hessians, who re- 
pulsed them back upon the English ; thus the Americans 
were driven several times against one or the other with 
great loss. They continued for some time in this despe- 
rate situation, till at length several regiments, animated 
by an heroic valor, forced their way through the midst of 
the enemy, and gained the camp of General Putnam; 
others escaped through the woods. The inequality of the 
ground, the great number of positions which it offered, 
and the disorder that prevailed throughout the line, were 
the cause for many hours of several partial combats taking 
place, in which numbers of the Americans fell. 

Their left wing and centre being discomfited, the Eng- 
lish, desirous of having a complete victory, made a rapid 
movement against the rear of the right wing, which, be- 
ing ignorant of the misfortune that had befallen the other 
corps, was engaged with General Grant. Finally, hav- 
ing received the intelligence, they retired from so unequal 
a contest. But, again encountering the English, who had 
cut off their retreat, part of them took shelter in the 
woods, others endeavored to make their way through the 
marshes of Gowan's cove, but mahy were drowned in 
the waters or perished in the mud ; a very small number 



64 BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

only escaped tlie hot pursuit of the visitors, and reached 
the camp in safety. 

The total loss of the Americans in this battle, was es- 
timated at more than three thousand men, in killed, 
wounded, and prisoners. Among the latter was General 
Sullivan, and Brigadier General Lord Stirling. Almost 
the entire regiment of Maryland, consisting of young 
men of the best families in that province, was cut to 
pieces. Six pieces of cannon fell into the hands of the 
victors. The loss of the English was very inconsidera- 
ble ; it did not amount to four hundred men, in killed, 
wounded, and prisoners. 

The enemy encamped in front of the American lines ; 
and on the succeeding night broke ground within six 
hundred yards of a redoubt on the left, and having thrown 
up a breast work on the Wallabout heights, upon the De- 
bevoice farm, commenced firing on Fort Putnam, and 
reconnoitred the American forces. 

The Americans were here prepared to receive them ; 
and orders were issued to the men to reserve their fire 
till they could see the eyes of the enemy. A few of the 
British officers reconnoitred the position, and one, on 
coming too near, was shot by William Van Cotts, of 
Bushwick. The same afternoon, Captain Rutgers, bro- 
ther of the late Colonel Rutgers, also fell. Several other 
British troops were killed, and the column which had in- 
cautiously advanced, fell back beyond the range of the 
American fire. 

In this critical state of the American army on Long 
Island, having a numerous and victorious enemy in front, 
with a formidable train of artillery, the Heet indicating an 
intention of forcing a passage up the East river, the 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 65 

troops lying without shelter from heavy rains, fatigued 
and dispirited, General Washington determined to with- 
draw the army from the island ; and this difficult move- 
ment was effected not only with great skill and judgment, 
but with complete success. The retreat was to have 
commenced at eight o'clock in the evening of the 29th, 
but a strong north-east wind and a rapid tide caused a de- 
lay of several hours ; a south-west wind, however, spring- 
ing up at eleven o'clock, greatly facilitated the passage of 
the army from the island to New York city; and a thick 
fog hanging over Long Island towards morning, covered 
its movements from the enemy, w4io were so near, that 
the sound of their pick-axes and shovels were distinctly 
heard by the Americans. General Washington, as far as 
'it was possible, inspected every thing himself, from the 
commencement of the action on the morning of the 27th, 
till all the troops had crossed the river in safety; he never 
closed his eyes, and was almost constantly on horseback. 
After the American army had evacuated Long Island, and 
the British troops and their allies, the tories and refugees, 
had taken possession of it, many distressing occurrences 
and heart-rendino-scenes of persecution took place. Those 
whigs, who had been at all active in behalf of the cause 
of independence, were exiled from their homes, and 
their dwellings subjected to indiscriminate plunder. 
Such as could be taken, were incarcerated in the 
churches of New Utrecht and Flatlands ; while royalists, 
wearing a red badge in their hats, were encouraged 
and protected. It is believed that had Lord Howe avail- 
ed himself of the advantage he possessed, by passing his 
ships up the river between New York and Brooklyn, he 
would have cut off their retreat, and the whole of the 



66 BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

American army must have been inevitably captured or 
annihilated. GJ-eueral Washington plainly saw the policy 
that he, (Lord Howe,) might have pursued, and therefore 
wisely determined to abandon the island, rather than run 
the risk of sacrificing his army, by a vain attempt to re- 
tain it. 

The unfortunate issue of the battle of Long Island,. 
W3& doubtless to be attributed, in part, to the misconduct 
of Colonel Miles, in neglecting his duty, by not keeping 
a better look out of the approach of the enemy towards 
the heights, and also to the illness of General Green, who 
had superintended the erection of the works, and was tho- 
roughly acquainted with the ground. In the hope of his 
recovery, Washington deferred sending over a successor, 
till the urgency of affairs rendered it absolutely necessa- * 
ry; and then General Putman took the command, without 
having any previous knowledge of the posts which had 
been fortified beyond the lines, or of the places by which 
the enemy could make their approach ; nor had he time 
to acquire this knowledge before the action commenced. 
The consequence was, that althongh he was the comman- 
der on the day of the battle, he never went beyond the 
lines at Brooklyn ; and could give no other orders in send- 
ing out the troops, than for them to meet the enemy at 
tlie different points where they appeared. The following 
is a letter to congress, written by Colonel Harrison, sec- 
retary to the commander in chief, describing the events 
of the day. 

NciD York, 8 o'clock P. M. 
Sir : 27 t7i August, 171 Q. 

I have this minute returned from our lines on Lonor 
Island, where I left his excellency, the General. From 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 67 

liim I have it in command to inform congress, that yes- 
terday he went there, and continued till evening, when, 
from the enemy having landed a considerable part of their 
forces, and from many of their movements, there was rea- 
son to aj^prehend they would in a little time make a gene- 
ral attack. As they would have a wood to pass through 
before they could approach the lines, it was thought ex- 
pedient to place a number of men on the roads lead- 
ing from where they were stationed, in order to harrass 
and annoy them in their march. This being done, early 
this morning a smart engagement ensued between the 
enemy and our detachments, which being unequal to the 
force they had to contend with, have sustained a considera- 
ble loss ; at least many of our men are missing. Among 
those that have not returned are General Sullivan and 
Lord Stirling. The enemy's loss is not known certainly, 
but we are told by such of our troops as were in the en- 
gagement, and have come in, that they had many killed 
and wounded. Our party brought off a lieutenant, ser- 
geant, and corporal, with twenty privates, prisoners. 

While these detachments were eng'a2:ed, a column of 
the enemy descended from the woods, and marched to- 
wards the centre of our lines, with a design to make an 
impression, but were repulsed. This evening they ap- 
peared very numerous about the skirts of the woods, 
where they have pitched several tents, and his excellency 
inclines to think they mean to attack and force us from 
our lines by way of regular approaches, rather than in 
any other manner. To-day five ships of the line came 
up towards the town, where they seemed desirous of get- 
ting, as they tacked a long time against an unfavorable 
wind ; and, on my return this evening, I found a deserter 



68 BATTLE OF LOXG ISLAND, 

from the twenty third regiment, who informed me, that 
they design, as soon as the wind will permit them, to come 
up to give us a severe cannonading, and silence our batte- 
ries if possible. I have the honor to be, in great haste, 
sir, your most obedient, 

ROBERT H. HARRISON. 

As the two generals, who commanded in the engage- 
ment, were taken prisoners, no detailed official account 
of the action was ever reported to the commander in chief. 
The following letter from Lord Stirling, and extracts 
from General Sullivan's, contain a few particulars not 
hitherto published. Lord Stirling was a prisoner on board 
of Lord Howe^s ship when he wrote. 

LORD STIRLING TO GENERAL WASHINGTON. 

Eagle, 29^7i August, 1776. 
My dear General, 

I have now an opportunity of informing you of what 
has happened to me since I had the pleasure of seeing 
you. About three o'clock on the morning of the 27th, I 
was called up, and informed by General Putman that 
the enemy were advancing by the road from Flatbushto 
the Red Lion, and he ordered me to march with the two 
regiments nearest at hand to ineet them. These happen- 
ing to be Haslet's and Small wood's, with which I accord- 
ingly marched, and was on the road to the Narrows just 
as the daylight began to appear. We proceeded to within 
about half a mile of the Red Lion, and there met Colonel 
Atlee, with his regiment, who informed me the enemy 
were in sight ; indeed, 1 saw their front between us and 
the Red Lion. I desired Colonel Atlee to place his regi- 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 69 

ment on the left of the road, and to wait their coming up, 
while I went to form the two regiments I had brought 
with me, along a ridge from the road up to a piece of wood 
on the top of the hill. This was done instantly, on very 
advantageous ground. 

Our opponents advanced, and were fired upon in the 
road by Colonel Atlee's regiment, who, after two or three 
rounds, retreated to the wood on my left, and there form- 
ed. By this time Kichline's riflemen arrived; part of 
them 1 placed along a hedge under the front of the hill, 
and the rest in front of the wood. The troops oppo- 
sed to me were two brigades, of four regiments each, under 
the command of General Grant; who advanced their light 
troops to within one hundred and fifty yards of our right 
front, and took possession of an orchard there, and some 
hedges, which extended towards our left. This brought 
on an exchange of fire between those troops and our 
riflemen, which continued for about two hours, and then 
ceased, by their light troops retiring to their main body. 
In the meantime, Captain Carpenter brought up two field 
pieces, which were placed on the side of the hill so as to 
command the road, and the only approach for some hun- 
dred yards. On the part of General Grant there were 
two field-pieces. One howitzer advanced to within three 
hundred yards of the front of our right, and a like de- 
tachment of artillery to the front of our left. On a rising 
ground, about six hundred yards distance, one of their 
brigades formed in two lines opposite to our right, and 
the other extended in one line to the top of the hills, in 
front of our left. 

In this position we stood cannonading each other till 
near eleven o'clock, when I found that General Howe, 



70 BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

with the main body of the army, was between me and 
our lines ; and 1 saw the only chance of escaping being 
all made prisoners, was to pass the creek near the Yellow 
Mills ; and, in order to render this more practicable, I 
found it absolutely necessary to attack the body of troops 
commanded by Lord Cornwallis, posted at the house 
near the Upper Mills. This I instantly did, with about 
half of Small wood's regiment ; first ordering all the other 
troops to make the best of their way through the creek. 
We continued the attack for a considerable time, the men 
having been rallied, and the attack renewed, five or six 
several tim es ; we were on the point of driving Lord 
Cornwallis fiom his station, when large reinforcements ar- 
riving, rendered it impossible to do more than provide 
for our safety. I endeavored to get in between that 
house and Fort Box ; but on attempting it, I found a 
considerable body of troops in my front, and several in 
pursuit of me on the right and left, and a constant firing 
on me. I immediately turned the point of a hill, which 
covered me from their fire, and v/as soon out of reach of 
my pursuers. I found that it would be in vain to attempt 
to make my escape, and therefore went to surrender my- 
self to General de Heister, commander in chief of the 

Hessians. 

WM. STIRLING. 

GENERAL SULLIVAN TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS. 

Whitemarsh, Oct. 25, 1777. 
I know it has been generally reported that I com- 
manded on Long Island when the action happened there- 
This is by no means true. General Putnam had taken 
the command from me four days before the action. Lord 
Stirling commanded the main body without the lines. I 
was to have commanded under General Putnam within 



BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 71 

the lines. I was uneasy about a road, through which I 
had often foretold that the enemy would come, but could, 
not persuade others to be of my opinion. I went to the 
hill near Flatbush to reconnoitre, and with a picket of 
four hundred men was surrounded by the enemy, who 
had advanced by the very road I had foretold, and which 
I paid horsemen fifty dollars for patrolling by night while 
I had the command, as I had no foot for the purpose. 

What resistance I made with these four hundred men 
against the British army, I leave to the officers who were 
with me to declare. Let it suffice for me to say, that the 
opposition of this small party lasted from half past nine 
to tw^elve o'clock. 

The reason of so few troops being on Long Island, 
was because it was generally supposed that the enemy's 
landing there was a feint to draw our troops thither, that 
they might the more easily possess themselves of New 
York. I often urged, both by word and writing, that, as 
the enemy had doubtless both these objects in view, they 
would first try for Long Island, which commanded the 
other ; and then New York, which was completely com- 
manded by it, would fall of course. But in this I was 
unhappy enough to differ from almost every officer in the 
army, till the event proved, my conjectures were just. 

JOHN SULLIVAN. 

A Mr. John Rapelje lived within the American lines 
at Brooklyn, but being suspected of disaffection to the 
American cause, was sent by the Whigs to the interior 
of New Jersey. His wife remained in the house, and 
probably felt more hostile to the party who had deprived 
her of her husband than she would have done, had they per- 
mitted him to have remained at home with her. The house 
was situated near the place where General Washington em- 



29-^ 



n 



72 BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. , \ 

barked the army, in his memorable retreat after the battle of 
Long Island. She obtained early information of this move- 
ment the niglit it took place, and saw the first detach- 
ment push off. Thinking it was a good opportunity to 
be revenged upon those who she considered had deeply 
injured her family, she resolved to inform the British ar- 
my of what was taking place among their enemies. She 
had no one to send with the information but a black ser- 
vant; accordingly she dispatched him, with orders to 
communicate the intelligence to the first British officer 
he could find. The black succeeded in passing the Ame- 
rican sentinels, and made his way to the neighboring 
camp ; but, unluckily for the success of his mission, came 
to that part of it where the Hessians were stationed, and 
was stopped by a soldier who could not understand Eng- 
lish, and to whom, of course, he could not communicate 
the message. He was therefore committed to the guard, 
as a suspicious person, and kept till morning; when a 
British officer visiting the post, examined him, and was 
informed of what had taken place during the night. The 
alarm was instantly given, but it was too late. Washing- 
ton and his troops were all safely landed on the opposite 
shore. 

Many of the minor events connected with this battle, 
and the Revolutionary contest, are fast sinking into the 
shades of oblivion, and the bitter feelings they created 
should be suffered to die away too ; for to perpetuate 
them, can be productive of no good, and only tends to 
disturb that harmony and commercial intercourse which 
now so happily exists between this and the mother coun- 
try. Therefore, in conclusion, let us say — 

" Peace to the souls of the heroes." 



^. 



